DISCRETIONARY GRANT RESEARCH PROJECT:

OFO ANALYSIS IN THE LEGISLATIVE SECTOR

23 December 2016

SUBMITTED TO:

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Table of Contents

................................................................................................................................................................ 1

Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 5

Approach and Methodology ................................................................................................................... 8

Skills Audit Methodology .................................................................................................................... 9

Assessment Framework: ................................................................................................................... 10

Data Collection Methodology and Mechanism: ............................................................................... 11

Questionnaire ................................................................................................................................... 11

Response Rate ....................................................................................................................................... 15

Findings ................................................................................................................................................. 18

Section 1: Occupational Structure .................................................................................................... 18

Key Occupations ............................................................................................................................ 20

Section 2: Mapping Legislative Job Titles to the OFO ....................................................................... 25

Managers ...................................................................................................................................... 25

Professionals ................................................................................................................................. 35

Technicians and Associate Professionals ...................................................................................... 45

Clerical and Support Workers ....................................................................................................... 54

Service and Sales Workers ............................................................................................................ 59

Skills Craft and Related Trades Workers, Machine Operators and Elementary Occupations ...... 60

Section 3: Job Titles with no match on the OFO ............................................................................... 61

Conclusion and Way Forward ............................................................................................................... 64

References ............................................................................................................................................ 65

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Table of Figures and Tables

Figure 1 Four phase work flow per skills audit ....................................................................................... 9

Figure 2 Sample Technical Skills Assessment Question ........................................................................ 12

Figure 3 Example of a question from the Generic Skills section of the Skills Audit Questionnaire ..... 13

Figure 4 Histogram of Job Title Frequency ........................................................................................... 19

Figure 5 Histogram of OFO Code Frequency ........................................................................................ 20

Figure 6 OFO Mapping Guide - Managers ............................................................................................ 24

Table 1 Main activities of skills audit per phase ................................................................................... 10

Table 2 Status per legislature by activity .............................................................................................. 15

Table 3 Questionnaire completion by Legislature ................................................................................ 16

Table 4 OFO Major Group - All employees ........................................................................................... 18

Table 5 OFO Major Group by Legislature .............................................................................................. 19

Table 6 OFO Occupations with 15 Employees or more ........................................................................ 21

Table 7 Example of mapping managers at different levels ................................................................... 22

Table 8 Task Ratings for Junior Manager in Finance (Professional) ..................................................... 26

Table 9 Example of OFO Occupations for Managers in transversal technical areas ............................ 27

Table 10 Task Importance for Finance Managers ................................................................................. 28

Table 11 Task Importance for ICT Manager .......................................................................................... 29

Table 12 Task Ratings for Human Resources Manager ......................................................................... 30

Table 13 Task Importance for Executive Managers .............................................................................. 32

Table 14 Task Importance for middle to senior managers ................................................................... 34

Table 15 Task Importance for Researchers ........................................................................................... 36

Table 16 Task Importance for Hansard Editors ..................................................................................... 39

Table 17 Task Ratings for Language Practitioners ................................................................................ 41

Table 18 Task Importance for Librarians .............................................................................................. 42

Table 19 Task importance for Communication Professionals .............................................................. 44

Table 20 Task Importance for Public Participation Officer ................................................................... 45

Table 21 Task importance for Committee Coordinator ........................................................................ 47

Table 22 Task Importance for Personal Assistants / Executive Secretaries .......................................... 49

Table 23 Profile of ICT and SCM Technicians ........................................................................................ 51

Table 24 Task importance for ICT Technicians ...................................................................................... 51

Table 25 Importance Ratings for Supply Chain Related Technicians .................................................... 53

Table 26 Task Importance for Secretaries ............................................................................................ 54

Table 27 Task Importance for Committee Assistant ............................................................................. 55

Table 28 Task Importance for Transcribers .......................................................................................... 56

Table 29 Task Importance for Receptionist .......................................................................................... 56

Table 30 Task Importance for Finance and Registry Clerk .................................................................... 58

Table 31 Task Importance for Security Officers .................................................................................... 59

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Table 32 Task importance for Serjeant-at-Arms ................................................................................... 62

Table 33 OFO structure for possible location of Serjeant-at-Arms ...................................................... 62

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Introduction

Skills deficits in South Africa and the challenges associated with them have been well documented in

recent years. Since the promulgation of the Skills Development Act (1998), the Skills Development

Levies Act (no 9 of 1999) and the establishment of the Sector Education and Training

Authorities(SETAs) in 2000, extensive efforts into research to understand the dynamics of the supply

and demand for skills has been undertaken.

While there are many successes that have come about through the new dispensation, the success is

often thought to be hampered due to poor quality information available for planning purposes. In the

August 2013 Government Gazette, the Ministerial Task Team report on the functioning of the SETAs

was published for comment. One of the key challenges highlighted in the report is:

“The data used for skills planning are often inconsistent and in some cases not valid”

(Ministerial Task Team 2013 pp 11).

“There continues to be inadequate information available on demand and what this means for

supply” (Ministerial Task Team 2013 pp 25).

As part of any macro level skills planning initiative, it is important that there is a common language

that is used to refer to jobs / occupations. In South Africa this is accomplished by using the OFO

(DHET 2013). In order for the OFO to be as useful as it can be, there should be a mechanism whereby

organisations engage with the OFO and feedback is given to their relevant authorities (PSETA in this

case).

The current approach to organisational skills planning

Singizi Consulting (2014) presented a commentary on the demand side considerations of skills

planning at the LMIP Policy Roundtable. A key point of focus was that stakeholders (at meso and

micro level) do not engage sufficiently with demand-side forecasting/planning. The focus tends to be

on narrowly defined "skills shortages" rather than strategically derived needs to drive growth and

development.

The nature of skills planning and the information required to plan effectively was raised at various

points during the second public service sector colloquium hosted by the PSETA in March of 2015. Key

points made during the colloquium in this regard include:

The public sector needs to be the catalyst for development and thus requires capacity

(Minister Blade Nzimande, Roles of SETAs in “ Linking Education and the Workplace” with

special focus on PSETA’s role in Opening up the Public Service Sector as a training space)

There is a poor understanding of skills planning in the public sector as well as the labour

market as a whole (S Huluman, Reflecting on the Previous Colloquium and Progress Update)

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There is a need to capacitate SDF and HRD facilitators and increase strategic role within

organisations (S Huluman, Reflecting on the Previous Colloquium and Progress Update)

There is a need for more reliable labour market data especially public sector data (Minister

Blade Nzimande, Response in Q&A Session 1)

Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and personal skills development plans (PDPs) reflect individual

skills development needs that may not reflect the skills requirements that drive strategic

priorities of an organisation (Ms S Meny-Gibert, Reflections on current methodologies of

identifying scarce and critical skills for the public service: Presentation of the PSETA’s

innovative methodology)

There is a growing understanding that a more coordinated strategic approach to skills planning and

more specific and reliable information is required. Singizi Consulting (2014) mentioned that better

demand side skills planning will allow for:

Better decision making

Assistance in making better more explicit and transparent assumptions on the future

Assistance in enforcing systematic and logical thinking

Act as a focus for intelligent, critical debate

In addition, it is felt that better skills planning will allow for a more effective use of the training

budget. If training interventions are targeted at areas where it is most needed, this in turn should

affect operational effectiveness, thus improving service delivery.

Skills Planning in the Legislatures

The skills planning environment in the Legislatures reflects the broader environment with an added

constraint of the OFO. As mentioned previously, the OFO plays a critical role in skills planning as it

removes the specificity of an organisational job structure which allows for cross-cutting issues in the

sector to be identified.

A concern has been raised that the structure of the OFO does not match the occupational make-up

of the Legislatures. Therefore, if the jobs in the sector cannot be accurately reflected on the OFO,

reporting to the SETA and subsequently skills planning becomes very difficult.

Objectives of this report

This report is the first output of a skills audit process cutting across the provincial and national

legislatures. It seeks to identify how well the current OFO matches the specifics of the jobs within

the Legislative sector. The methodology of the skills audit process is unpacked the results of the

current project. The goal is two-fold:

1. Key jobs within the legislature are mapped to the OFO. Evidence from employees’ ratings of

how important tasks are, are used to determine how well the job matches the OFO

Occupation

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2. Specifics of the job as per the job profiles are also included. These are also rated by

employees as to their importance to the job. This provides insight for the purposes of ETQA

which will allow for more relevant programmes through a more detailed understanding of

job requirements.

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Approach and Methodology

The approach to assess the relevance of the OFO to the Legislative sector is built into the ongoing

Skills Audit being conducted by Palladian Consulting. There are three phases to the project which are

unpacked below.

Phase 1: Desktop OFO profiling.

Participating legislatures were asked to provide their employees lists and job profiles. If they had

already completed an OFO process, then they were asked to submit it as well. Since the OFO is

constructed based on grouping jobs into occupations based on the similarity of their activities, the

activities in the job profiles could be compared with the tasks in the OFO to match as best as

possible.

Certain job titles could conceivably fit into multiple OFO categories. Since the researchers didn’t

have the context to ascertain which OFO would be the best fit, jobs were sometimes allowed to be

classified into different OFOs in different legislatures so that the best match could be determined by

the skills audit.

Phase 2: Skills Audit fieldwork.

This is where the workflow described in the section below was implemented. An assessment

framework was created by combining the tasks in the OFO for the occupation that was linked in

phase 1 and the Key Performance Activities in the respective job profiles.

The technical assessment component of the skills audit included a question that asked: “How

important is this task to your function?” The average rating across the sector was used to determine

what the priorities within the occupation actually are. This forms the basis of the 2 objective of the

report which is to determine:

How relevant the OFO tasks are to the job and by implication how well the job fits within

the specified occupation.

What other activities are being conducted as part of the job to assist ETQA in defining

learning outcomes for new sector specific qualifications.

Phase 3: Reporting.

Once all data was collected the reports were prepared and submitted. This report is the first in a

series of reports outlining the relevance of the OFO as well as the skills needs in participating

legislatures and the sector.

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Skills Audit Methodology

The Lucent Sea Skills Spotlight (Lucent Sea n.d.) skills audit tool was used to conduct the training

needs assessment. The methodology underpinning the tool is a based on a competence-based self-

assessment with validation. This is a methodology where each employee self-assesses against a job

analysis or framework that is subsequently validated by a supervisor or line manager.

There is a straight forward workflow to conducting the Skills Audit / Training Needs Analysis. There

are 4 phases as shown in figure 1. Each legislature moved through the workflow at different rates

based on their individual contexts.

Figure 1 Four phase work flow per skills audit

The phases are described briefly below with the individual activities detailed in Table 1.

Step 1: Sign up for skills audit. The goal of phase 1 is to communicate the process to the legislatures

and gain their buy in. This was envisaged to be a very short first step but proved to be more

problematic. The constraints to implementation is discussed in the next section.

Step 2: Prepare skills Audit. This phase encapsulates the preparation that needs to be done by both

Palladian Consulting and the Legislatures. This includes collecting the required information,

preparing the assessment framework (Desktop Profiling from Phase 1) and preparing the online

platform for the skills audit.

Step 3: Data Collection. Once the skills audit is launched, the focus moves to supporting the

employees to complete their questionnaires and making sure there is a suitable level of compliance.

1) Sign Up 2) Prepare3) Data

Collection4)

Reporting

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Phase 4: Reporting. The final phase is where the data is analysed and reported according the project

objectives.

Table 1 Main activities of skills audit per phase

Phase Activity

Phase 1: Sign up for skills audit

Contact legislatures

Explain Process

Assign Process Owner

Conduct training session (online or in person if possible)

Phase 2: Prepare skills Audit

Legislature to send Employee List

Legislature to send Job Profiles

Map jobs to occupational framework (OFO)

Palladian to generate assessment framework

Decide on skills audit roll out plan

Palladian to provide support documents

Legislature to communicate with employees and relevant stakeholders

Set up and launch skills audit.

Phase 3: Data Collection

Support questionnaire completion if required

Monitor progress and issue reminders where necessary

Phase 4: Reporting Draw data and analyse

Develop Provincial Report

Develop Overall Report

Develop OFO report

Assessment Framework:

As mentioned previously, the approach adopted by the research team is to utilise Organising

Framework of Occupations (OFO), combined with the Legislature’s own job profiles as the

assessment framework for the current skills audit. The OFO is a classification system based on the

ILO's International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and is managed by the Department

of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The purpose of the OFO is to create a common language

for when organisations are talking about occupations (DHET 2013)1. The framework was

constructed from the bottom up by:

• “analysing jobs and identifying similarities in terms of a tasks and skills;

• categorising similar jobs into occupations; and

1 NOTE: Stats SA uses the South African Standard Classification of Occupations (SASCO) which was used in South Africa for planning prior to the implementation of the OFO

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• classifying these occupations into occupational groups at increasing levels of generality."

(DHET 2013)

The OFO is a comprehensive framework and covers 1,448 occupations with a combined 4,306 tasks.

Therefore, if one was to use the proficiency on the tasks and activities as a proxy for competence,

one could use the OFO as a macro level assessment framework for a traditional skills audit

methodology. Therefore, the process involved mapping the individual employees to the OFO, from

which an individualised questionnaire would be generated by the system by listing the tasks

associated with the provided occupation.

These tasks were then combined with the KPAs from the job profile. The duplicate tasks were

removed which left a comprehensive set of job outcomes which formed the basis for assessment on

technical skills.

Data Collection Methodology and Mechanism:

With a common framework for assessment, the researchers were able to use a variation on a

traditional skills audit data collection method. In deciding on this approach a balance was sought

between the amount and complexity in the data being collected (which increases the robustness of

the data) and the burden on organisations and employees to participate. The Competence-based

self-assessment with validation was selected as it provides the best balance in this regard. In other

words, the data collection will be a two-step process in which the employee self-assesses on how

well they believe they conduct the tasks associated with their job which is in turn validated by their

supervisor or line manager. The balance is found in that less data would compromise the findings

because self-report data alone would not provide adequate depth and any further data collection

would likely have a negative effect on response rates.

The data collection process involved each participating organisation to load a list of employees onto

the platform. The system then generated emails or SMSs and sends a link to a unique questionnaire

for each employee who would log on and complete the self-assessment. Once the employee has

completed the questionnaire, a second link was sent to the employee's line manager who validated

the assessment.

Questionnaire

The questionnaire assessed the following elements of the organisation’s employees. Each section is

then unpacked in more detail.

1. Profile information

2. Technical Skills Assessment

3. Generic / Non-Technical Skills Assessment

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4. Other training Needs Assessment

Profile

Profile information was collected on each employee. This included demographics for tracking

transformation interventions, education, experience and occupation related information. This is

important as it extends beyond simple demographic tracking. It will help in the profiling process to

distinguish between entry level posts and more senior posts that need to be accessed via a career

path. This is important in skills planning as supply is often considered simply in terms of

qualifications versus occupations.

Technical Skills Assessment

Technical Skills are defined in this context as the skills required to conduct the technical elements of

an employee's daily tasks. The assessment framework has been discussed in detail and it is in this

section of the questionnaire that it is used. Each task or KPA is presented with an option to rate how

well the employee conducts the task with an additional 3 follow-up questions.

Figure 2 Sample Technical Skills Assessment Question

The first and most important is the employee’s reported proficiency on the task. Competencies

and/or skills were inferred from their ability to perform a particular function. In other words, a low

proficiency indicates a skills gap whereas high proficiency will indicate no skills gap. Employees were

asked on to rate on a scale of 1-5 (if the task was conducted as part of their job) where 1 is not at all

proficient and 5 is very proficient (see box for key to proficiency ratings), how well they doing their

current job. If the task was not part of their job function they marked the question as “N/A”.

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Having said this proficiency alone is not enough to determine where interventions should be

targeted. Therefore, if an employee entered a proficiency score other than “N/A”, he / she was

asked 3 follow up questions namely:

1. How important is this task to your job?

2. How much time do you spend on it?

3. Do you require training on this specific task?

The importance on the task is of particular interest to the current analysis as it allows the

researchers to determine which of the OFO tasks are relevant to the job and by implication how

well it maps to the OFO.

Generic / Non-Technical Skills

Similar to the assessment of technical skills, the generic skills are assessed by presenting employees

with a list of soft skills. Each importance of each skill for the employees’ current job is included along

with their need for training.

Figure 3 Example of a question from the Generic Skills section of the Skills Audit Questionnaire

There are 12 standard soft skills that are assessed as part of the skills audit.

Key - Proficiency

N/A - Not Applicable.

1 - Skills or Knowledge are not yet adequate to perform tasks in order to achieve performance.

2 - Skills or Knowledge are limited and need some development in order to improve performance.

3 - Skills or Knowledge are at an appropriate level in order to achieve performance.

4 - Skills or Knowledge are above the level required to achieve performance.

5 - Skills and Knowledge are excellent, incumbent can be utilised as a mentor in developing others

at this level.

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Soft Skills

1. Accountability 7. Networking

2. Communication 8. Problem Solving & Critical Thinking

3. Computer Literacy 9. Professionalism

4. Enthusiasm & Attitude 10. Service and Customer Orientation

5. Initiative 11. Strategic Capability

6. Leadership 12. Teamwork / Collaboration

All employees, regardless of their occupation were required to provide input on all 12 soft skills

Training Activity and Needs

The final section of the questionnaire had three parts. Firstly, respondents were asked to report on

what training programmes they had participated in in the last 12 months. Secondly they were asked

what type of training they believe they needed to achieve their goals in the next 5 to 10 years.

Finally, they were asked 5 questions on how they felt their employer supported their individual

training and development needs. The final set of questions were excluded from the supervisor

review (for confidentiality reasons) and is only reported in aggregated form.

The generic skills and training needs sections will not be reported on in this document but will be

used extensively in the Training Needs Assessment (TNA) report.

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Response Rate

Each of the nine provincial legislatures were targeted along with the national legislature. The

intention was to gain a sufficient sample size so that there were a number of data points inputting

into each occupation. However, there were challenges that were experienced at different points in

the process.

Three provinces did not participate at all. These were Limpopo, Free State and KwaZulu

Natal. While KZN agreed to participate very late in the process, there was insufficient time

remaining in order to conduct the audit.

Two organisations (Gauteng and National Parliament) did all the preparation but were

unable to launch due to internal constraints. In the case of Gauteng, there were key personal

changes which prevented the implementation of the skills audit whereas in Parliament there

was an ongoing labour dispute that did not allow for the skills audit process to progress.

Even though no data was collected, the structure of the organisations were still analysed and

made up s significant component of the Phase 1, desktop mapping exercise.

The remaining 5 legislatures all entered the data collection phase and conducted the

fieldwork to varying degrees of success.

Table 2 shows the progression of the legislatures at the time of writing this report. Additional

fieldwork will still be conducted prior to drafting the TNA report.

Table 2 Status per legislature by activity

Phase Activity Plmt LP GT NW MP FS KZN EC NC WC

Phase 1: Sign up for skills audit

Contact legislatures

Explain Process

Assign Process Owner

Conduct training session

Phase 2: Prepare skills Audit

Send Employee List

Send Job Profiles

Map to occupational framework (OFO)

Generate assessment framework

Decide on skills audit roll out plan

Provide support documents

Communicate skills audit process and objectives to employees and relevant stakeholders

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Phase Activity Plmt LP GT NW MP FS KZN EC NC WC

Set up and launch skills audit.

Phase 3: Data Collection

Support questionnaire completion if required

Monitor progress and issue reminders where necessary

Phase 4: Reporting

Draw data and analyse

Develop Provincial Report

Develop Overall Report

Develop OFO report

The number of overall responses are lower than what would be ideal. However, sufficient data has

been collected in order to draw conclusions.

Table 3 Questionnaire completion by Legislature

Legislature Employee Started

Employee Completed

Review Started

Completed Not started

Does not consent

Grand Total

Eastern Cape 66 18 8 7 157 1 224

Mpumalanga 157 144 117 107 24 2 183

North West 47 31 12 9 107 154

Northern Cape Legislature

48 28 4 3 66 114

Western Cape Legislature

93 83 69 65 18 111

Grand Total 411 304 210 191 372 3 786

Mpumalanga had the highest response rate with 86% of employees either completing or

were in the process of completing their questionnaire. In addition 58% of managers had

completed the review.

Western Cape did similarly well in pushing for completion in the time allowed. 84% of

employees started the process, 75% completed with 59% of supervisors completing the

review.

Northern Cape’s rate of completion was slower than the previous two. They were the first

legislature to launch but completion rate remains low. Currently 42% of employees are in

the process of completing their questionnaire with only 3% of supervisors conducting the

review.

North West launched on November 1st. Therefore there has not been a lot of time to collect

data but response has been positive. The proportion of employees that started and

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completed their question were 31% and 20% respectively. Only 6% of employees have a

supervisor reviewed questionnaire however.

Eastern Cape was the latest organisation to launch. There were significant IT related

challenges where the mail server was blocking the email invitations. This was addressed by

the legislature’s technical team. As a result, the response rate is lower than is ideal but is

high given the circumstances. A total of 29% employees started the questionnaire with only

8% completing it. Only 3% of employees’ questionnaire were reviewed.

Each occupation has a very low number of responses from which the conclusions are drawn. This is

not ideal. If additional data is collected in the final period of the contract, the report will be updated

accordingly.

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Findings

This section of the report is divided into three sections. The first is an overall occupational summary

where the key occupations that cut across the sector are discussed. The second section shows the

mapping of the jobs in the legislatures to the OFO based on the results from the skills audit. The

third section shows the sector specific occupations that were unable to be matched to the OFO.

Section 1: Occupational Structure

For this section, the structure of all employees in the legislatures that submitted information are

examined (as opposed to those that collected skills audit data). There is a total of 2506 employees in

the 7 organisations who provided data2. As is shown in Table 3, there is a high proportion of highly

skilled occupations. Professionals and Clerical Support Workers are the two biggest occupational

groups making up 31% and 24% respectively. This is followed by Technicians and managers who

make up 19% and 12% respectively. The balance of the employees are made up of Service and Sales

Workers (8%) who are predominantly security officers and Elementary Occupations (4%).

Table 4 OFO Major Group - All employees

OFO Major Group Number of Employees

% Employees

MANAGERS 307 12%

PROFESSIONALS 772 31%

TECHNICIANS AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONALS 481 19%

CLERICAL SUPPORT WORKERS 603 24%

SERVICE AND SALES WORKERS 204 8%

SKILLED CRAFT AND RELATED TRADES WORKERS 10 0%

PLANT AND MACHINE OPERATORS AND ASSEMBLERS 29 1%

ELEMENTARY OCCUPATIONS 100 4%

Grand Total 2506 100%

The structure within the individual legislatures is similar with some variation. Mpumalanga, Eastern

Cape and Western Cape have higher proportion of Managers with Parliament having fewer

managers. Western Cape and Eastern Cape have a lower proportion of professionals with the

balance of legislatures having a very similar proportion. Western Cape has a higher proportion of

Clerical Support Workers while Parliament has a much higher proportion of Service and Sales

Workers.

2 National Parliament, Gauteng (no fieldwork), Western Cape, Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, North West and Eastern Cape (with fieldwork).

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Table 5 OFO Major Group by Legislature

OFO Major Group EC GT MP NC NW Parl WC Grand Total

MANAGERS 24% 7% 29% 13% 18% 8% 20% 12%

PROFESSIONALS 28% 30% 18% 34% 35% 33% 19% 31%

TECHNICIANS AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONALS

17% 20% 25% 15% 33% 17% 22% 19%

CLERICAL SUPPORT WORKERS 18% 28% 26% 27% 11% 24% 38% 24%

SERVICE AND SALES WORKERS 2% 4% 1% 7% 0% 13% 0% 8%

SKILLED CRAFT AND RELATED TRADES WORKERS

0% 1% 0% 0% 0% 1% 0% 0%

PLANT AND MACHINE OPERATORS AND ASSEMBLERS

3% 2% 2% 2% 3% 0% 0% 1%

ELEMENTARY OCCUPATIONS 7% 8% 0% 2% 1% 4% 0% 4%

Grand Total 223 390 168 114 160 1352 99 2506

If the occupational structure of the 2506 employees is examined by job title, the importance of

using the OFO for planning purposes becomes very clear. There are 836 different job titles

represented in the 2506 posts. Figure 4 shows the histogram which reveals that 565 Job Titles have a

count of only 1. In other words, there are 565 job titles where there is only 1 employee in the sector

with that exact job title. There are 186 job titles with between 2 and 5 employees. The remaining

employees in the sector account for only 3.4% of employment. Therefore, it is very clear that a

common language is required so that planning can take place at a sectoral level. While the OFO may

not be perfect, it represents the best option for skills planning. The goal of this project is to clarify

the use of the OFO for the legislative sector and identify areas where additional clarification is

required.

Figure 4 Histogram of Job Title Frequency

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1 5 8 1

2 1

5 1

9 2

2 2

6 3

0 3

3 3

7 4

0 4

4 4

7 5

1 5

5 5

8 6

2 6

5 6

9 7

2 7

6 8

0 8

3 8

7 9

0 9

4 9

71

00

+

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Each legislature conducted their own OFO mapping (to allow for submissions to PSETA) and provided

this information to the researchers. The researchers then checked and evaluated the mapping.

Obvious errors were corrected. For example, if an administrative secretary was classified as a

Company Secretary (OFO 2015-242203), it was corrected to something more appropriate such as

2015-412101 Secretary (General).

However, there were examples where the technical knowledge of the sector on behalf of the

researchers did not warrant over-ruling the mapping conducted by the respective organisation. In

such cases, the importance ratings from the skills audit will inform which is the more appropriate

OFO Code. For example: there are 40 instances of job titles that are variations of “Committee

Coordinator”. This job was mapped to either 2015-441903 Program or Project Administrator or

2015-334101 Office Supervisor with a single case of a Senior Committee Coordinator being mapped

as a Professional Occupation 2015-242210 Business Administrator. As a result, all three mappings

were allowed for the skills audit so that the best possible option can be recommended for wider use.

Figure 5 shows the histogram for the OFO codes based on the initial mapping exercise described

above. The total number of codes is reduced from 836 to 169. There are still 35 instances of an OFO

Code having a single employee. However, there are 36 Occupations with at least 15 employees

which accounts for 76% of all employees.

Figure 5 Histogram of OFO Code Frequency

Key Occupations

The top occupations per major group are shown in Table 6 below. Note: this is not the final mapping.

This is the unverified preliminary mapping that was used for the purposes of the skills audit.

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1 18 36 53 71 88 105 123 140 150+

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Table 6 OFO Occupations with 15 Employees or more

Occupation OFO Code Number

MANAGERS 1 307

Office Manager 2015-134904 66

Senior Government Manager 2015-111207 38

Advertising and Public Relations Manager 2015-122201 19

Research and Development Manager 2015-122301 16

PROFESSIONALS 2 772

Policy Analyst 2015-242202 136

Interpreter 2015-264301 80

Communication Coordinator 2015-243201 75

Political Scientist 2015-263304 61

Librarian 2015-262201 44

Human Resource Advisor 2015-242303 41

Linguist 2015-264303 41

Translator 2015-264302 30

Event Producer 2015-243204 30

Administrative Lawyer 2015-261102 21

Accountant (General) 2015-241101 16

TECHNICIANS AND ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONALS

3 481

Personal Assistant 2015-334302 132

Office Administrator 2015-334102 105

ICT Communications Assistant 2015-351201 45

Business Support Coordinator 2015-333910 23

Supply Chain Practitioner 2015-333905 22

Purchasing Officer 2015-332302 20

Computer Network Technician 2015-351301 19

CLERICAL SUPPORT WORKERS 4 603

Secretary (General) 2015-412101 227

General Clerk 2015-411101 131

Program or Project Administrators 2015-441903 52

Accounts Clerk 2015-431101 38

Filing or Registry Clerk 2015-441501 27

Enquiry Clerk 2015-422501 24

Stock Clerk / Officer 2015-432101 16

SERVICE AND SALES WORKERS 5 204

Security Officer 2015-541401 102

Caretaker 2015-515301 39

Waiter 2015-513101 33

PLANT AND MACHINE OPERATORS AND ASSEMBLERS

7 29

Delivery Driver 2015-732101 20

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Occupation OFO Code Number

ELEMENTARY OCCUPATIONS 8 100

Commercial Cleaner 2015-811201 91

Managers: There is a lot of variation in job titles when it comes to managers. The first factor driving

this is the organisational structure. The size of the legislature for example, will determine the

number of layers of management. Functionally, the managers may be doing similar core activities

but are named very differently in their titles. Examples from the study include middle managers

(assistant manager or deputy manager), senior managers and executive managers. When mapping

to the OFO, there is usually little difference in the levels. For example, an HR Manager and a Unit

Manager: Human Capital will have the same OFO code. The differentiation will instead be based on

functional area. In other words, a Finance Manager will have a different OFO code to an HR

Manager.

Having said that, there are cases where the level impacts on the OFO code. The core of most

managerial posts will be the same in that the focus is on the management of a function /

department / branch etcetera. The nature / content of what they are managing may differ but the

activities reflect the same core management functions. Junior managers on the other hand will tend

to be more technical and less management focussed. For example, Assistant Manager:Treasury

more accurately is mapped as 2015-241107 Financial Accountant than 2015-121101 Finance

Manager. Therefore, it is important to determine if the core activities of a job are managerial or

technical. The former will take the managerial code which will start with a 1 and the latter will be

the technical code which will usually be a professional (staring with a 2) or a technician (starting with

a 3).

In addition, very senior employees will have a different focus especially in the legislatures. The focus

is less on operational issues but rather on policy and liaising with governance structures. This

impacts on the most appropriate OFO code to be used.

Table 7 Example of mapping managers at different levels

Assistant Manager: Treasury Finance Manager / CFO Chief Treasury Officer Focus is on technical Focus is on Management Executive 2015-241107 (Financial Accountant)

2015-121101 (Finance Manager)

2015-111207 (Senior Government Manager)

Advising on, planning and installing budgetary, accounts controlling and other accounting policies and systems

Auditing accounts and bookkeeping records

Conducting financial investigations in such matters

Assessing the financial situation of the enterprise or organization, preparing budgets and overseeing financial operations

Consulting with the chief executive and with managers of other departments or sections

Advising national, state, regional or local governments and legislators on policy matters

Advising on the preparation of government budgets, laws and regulations, including amendments

23

Assistant Manager: Treasury Finance Manager / CFO Chief Treasury Officer Focus is on technical Focus is on Management Executive 2015-241107 (Financial Accountant)

2015-121101 (Finance Manager)

2015-111207 (Senior Government Manager)

as suspected fraud, insolvency and bankruptcy

Conducting investigations and advising management on financial aspects of productivity, stockholdings, sales, new products, etc

Devising and controlling a system to determine unit cost of products and services

Preparing and certifying financial statements for presentation to management, shareholders and statutory or other bodies

Preparing or reporting on profit forecasts and budgets

Preparing tax returns, advising on taxation problems and contesting disputed claims before tax officials

Establishing and directing operational and administrative procedures

Establishing and managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff

Planning and directing daily operations

Planning, directing and coordinating the financial operations of an enterprise or organization

Representing the enterprise or organization in dealings with outside bodies

Coordinating activities with other senior government managers and officials

Ensuring appropriate systems and procedures are developed and implemented to provide budgetary control

Establishing objectives for government departments or agencies in accordance with government legislation and policy

Formulating or approving and evaluating programs and procedures for the implementation of government polices in conjunction or consultation with government:

Making presentations to legislative and other government committees regarding policies programs or budgets

Overseeing the interpretation and implementation of government policies and legislation by government departments and agencies

Recommending, reviewing, evaluating and approving documents, briefs and reports submitted by middle managers and senior staff members

While, it may appear that this complicates the mapping process, it does not need to be the case. If a

common logic is applied to mapping managers to the OFO, it can be very much simplified. The logic

of this process is shown in Figure 6 and unpacked in detail in Section 2.

Figure 6 OFO Mapping Guide - Managers

Professionals / Technicians: The dynamics within the professional and technician occupational

groups are similar in that the focus is on the functional area of the job. Therefore, the core activities

are more technical in nature. Junior and senior practitioners will be recorded in the same OFO code.

In addition, there will be different Jobs that have very similar core activities that may be grouped in

the same Occupation.

For Example, all of the following job titles are classified under 2015-242303 Human Resource

Advisor:

HR Consultant: Remuneration & Employee Benefits,

HR Co-Ordinator,

HR Practitioner,

HR Practitioner: Recruitment and Selection,

HR Practitioner: Staffing & Talent Management,

Human Capital Practitioner,

Human Resource Officer,

Human Resources MIS Officer,

Senior HR Practitioner.

Clerical and Support Workers: These occupations are split between two groups. On the one hand

there are transversal occupations where the content is specific but the activities are generic such as

“Secretary to…[insert department]”. The other group involves specific occupations where they are

grouped based on the nature of their role such as the previously mentioned Tabling Assistant.

Other Occupations: The balance of the occupations tend to be generic in nature and fit easily into

OFO Occupations. For example: Control Protection Officer: Chamber Support, Protection Officer,

Security Officer, Senior Protection Officer are all classified as 2015-541401 Security Officer.

Section 2: Mapping Legislative Job Titles to the OFO

This section maps the most significant job titles (or groups thereof) to the OFO. It is organised and

reported based on the Major Groups of the OFO.

Managers

The previous section outlined an approach to map managers to the OFO. This section gives examples

with evidence from the skills audit to support the process. The managers are broadlyclassified into 3

types:

1. Junior managers which should not be mapped as managers but rather the technical

occupations. This is subject to an assessment of the core responsibilities revealing a greater

focus on the technical aspects of the job rather than managerial functions.

26

2. Managers in specific transversal functional areas. This is for occupations that have a focus on

managerial activities but within a technical area of focus such as Finance, Human Resources,

Supply Chain etcetera.

3. Generic Management Occupations. These are occupations where the focus is on managerial

activities but the functional area is not transversal (as in point 2). These occupations are split

into Management and Executive Management.

Junior Management

Junior managers that have a more technical focus should be mapped to the professional occupation.

An example is given below where the job title is Assistant Manager: Treasury but the job profile

suggests that the focus of the job is on technical accounting issues. The manager was assessed

against 2015-241107 Financial Accountant. Table 8 shows that this is an accurate reflection of their

role with all tasks from the OFO being rates as 5 (Critically Important).

Table 8 Task Ratings for Junior Manager in Finance (Professional)

Num Imp Source

Job Titles

Assistant Manager: Treasury

OFO Code

2015-241107 (Financial Accountant)

Tasks Advising on, planning and installing budgetary, accounts controlling and other accounting policies and systems

1 5 OFO

Auditing accounts and bookkeeping records 1 5 OFO

Conducting financial investigations in such matters as suspected fraud, insolvency and bankruptcy

1 5 OFO

Conducting investigations and advising management on financial aspects of productivity, stockholdings, sales, new products, etc

1 5 OFO

Devising and controlling a system to determine unit cost of products and services

1 5 OFO

Preparing and certifying financial statements for presentation to management, shareholders and statutory or other bodies

1 5 OFO

Preparing or reporting on profit forecasts and budgets 1 5 OFO

Preparing tax returns, advising on taxation problems and contesting disputed claims before tax officials

1 5 OFO

Analysis of budget and budget outcome 1 5 Profile

Analysis of quarterly and annual financial statements 1 5 Profile

Analysis of the In-Year Monitoring reports 1 5 Profile

Monitoring of funds allocated to Political Parties 1 5 Profile

Prepare statutory submission to Provincial Treasury 1 4 Profile

27

Managers in transversal areas

The OFO accommodates a number of common technical managers whose core functions are

conducted in other sectors (thus transversal). Table 9 shows examples of these transversal managers

and the occupations that may be relevant to the Legislatures.

Table 9 Example of OFO Occupations for Managers in transversal technical areas

Unit Group Occupation

Finance Managers Finance Manager

Payroll Manager

Credit Manager

Internal Audit Manager

Human Resource Managers Personnel / Human Resource Manager

Business Training Manager

Compensation and Benefits Manager

Recruitment Manager

Employee Wellness Manager

Health and Safety Manager

Supply, Distribution and Related Managers

Supply and Distribution Manager

Logistics Manager

Road Transport Manager

Warehouse Manager

Fleet Manager

Information and Communications Technology Service Managers

Chief Information Officer

ICT Project Manager

Data Management Manager

Application Development Manager

Information Technology Manager

Information Systems Director

Examples of these that are both relevant to the Legislatures and present in the skills audit are:

Finance Managers (2015-121101 Finance Manager)

ICT Managers (2015-133105 Information Technology Manager)

Human Resources Managers (2015-121201 Personnel / Human Resource Manager to 2015-

121206 Health and Safety Manager)

There are a number of job titles from the legislatures that fall into the category of Finance

Managers. These include: Senior Manager: Finance, Chief Finance Officer, Finance and

28

Administration Manager, Senior Manager: Finance & Treasury Advice, Chief Treasury Officer and

Senior Manager: Treasury.

It is proposed that unless there is a specific reason for the contrary, the OFO code 2015-121101

Finance Manager should be used. The core of the occupation is well represented in the OFO with all

8 tasks being rated as a 4 or a 5 on importance. The balance of the tasks from the profile represent

the context specific specialisation such as compliance with Financial Management of Parliament Act

(FMPA).

Table 10 Task Importance for Finance Managers

Num Imp Source

Job Titles

Finance Manager, Senior Manager: Finance, Chief Finance Officer, Finance and Administration Manager

OFO Code

2015-121101 (Finance Manager)

Tasks Assessing the financial situation of the enterprise or organization, preparing budgets and overseeing financial operations

1 4 OFO

Consulting with the chief executive and with managers of other departments or sections

1 4 OFO

Establishing and directing operational and administrative procedures

1 4 OFO

Establishing and managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources

1 5 OFO

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff 1 4 OFO

Planning and directing daily operations 1 4 OFO

Planning, directing and coordinating the financial operations of an enterprise or organization

1 4 OFO

Representing the enterprise or organization in dealings with outside bodies

1 4 OFO

Financial management ofparliament and provincial legislatures (FMPPLA) act implentation.

1 5 Profile

The field of ICT, similarly has a wide range of job titles for managers. They include: Chief Information

Officer, Director ICT, ICT Manager, Manager: ICT Business Support, Senior Manager: Information

Technology. While there was only 1 ICT Manager who completed the skills audit, it is a good example

of how well the OFO represents transversal occupations. The items drawn from the OFO were more

relevant to the incumbent’s job than the organisation’s job profile.

The relevant OFO codes for ICT managers can be any of the codes from 2015-133101 Chief

Information Officer to 2015-133106 Information Systems Director. The most appropriate occupation

can be selected based on the relative speciality of the function.

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Table 11 Task Importance for ICT Manager

Num Imp Source

Job Title

ICT Manager

OFO Code

2015-133105 (Information Technology Manager)

Tasks Assigning, reviewing, managing and leading the work of systems analysts, programmers, and other computer-related workers

1 5 OFO

Consulting with users, management, vendors, and technicians to assess computing needs and system requirements and specifying technology to meet those needs

1 5 OFO

Directing ICT operations, analysing workflow, establishing priorities, developing standards and setting deadlines

1 5 OFO

Directing the selection and installation of ICT resources and the provision of user training

1 3 OFO

Establishing and directing operational and administrative procedures 1 4 OFO

Establishing and managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources

1 5 OFO

Evaluating the organization's technology use and needs and recommending improvements, such as hardware and software upgrades

1 5 OFO

Formulating and directing information and communication technology (ICT) strategies, policies and plans

1 5 OFO

Overseeing the security of ICT systems 1 5 OFO

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff 1 4 OFO

Representing the enterprise or organization at ICT related conventions, seminars and conferences

1 3 OFO

ICT governance 1 2 Profile

ICT Vendor Management 1 4 Profile

Information monitoring 1 4 Profile

Knowledge of WCPP policy directives 1 4 Profile

There is a dedicated unit group for Human Resources Managers which has 6 occupations within it.

They are: Personnel / Human Resource Manager, Business Training Manager, Compensation and

Benefits Manager, Recruitment Manager, Employee Wellness Manager, Health and Safety Manager.

As was the case for the ICT manager, this provides a fair amount of specialisation which can assist in

a more appropriate mapping. As a result each post should be examined and mapped to the most

appropriate occupation based on the specialisation.

Table 12 shows the relevance of the OFO to the 7 jobs listed. The average importance is lower than

expected because there were 2 employees that rated all tasks (including the profile tasks) as either a

1 or a 2. It is not clear why those employees rated all tasks as low importance but if they are

excluded the average importance of the OFO tasks increases to 4.0.

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Table 12 Task Ratings for Human Resources Manager

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Human Resource Manager, Senior Manager: Special Programmes and Wellness, Senior Manager:Human Capital Management, Senior Manager Organizational Development and Human Resources Development, Unit Manager: IHRM, Unit Manager: Benefits

OFO Code

2015-121201 Personnel / Human Resource Manager to 2015-121206 Health and Safety Manager

Tasks Consulting with senior management and with managers of other departments 6 3.7 OFO

Ensuring compliance with standards and legislation relating to employees rights, health and safety, equal opportunity and related concerns 5 2.8 OFO

Establishing and directing operational and administrative procedures 6 3.2 OFO

Establishing and managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources 3 4.0 OFO

Overseeing safety, health and related programmes and activities 3 3.3 OFO

Overseeing the development and implementation of management information systems 4 3.3 OFO

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff for the entire enterprise or organization 4 3.8 OFO

Planning and organizing negotiations and procedures for determination of wage structures and level and for consultation with workers on conditions of employment 3 3.3 OFO

Planning and organizing procedures for recruitment, training, promotion, transfer and dismissal of staff, 3 4.7 OFO

Planning, directing and coordinating the personnel and industrial relations activities, policies and practices of an enterprise or organization 4 3.5 OFO

Representing the enterprise or organization in dealings with outside bodies 4 3.3 OFO

Analytical reports, security reports, audit reports, salary reports system change control reports. 1 3 Profile

Applications and contracts signed by applicants 1 4 Profile

Origination of applications 1 4 Profile

2 reports on training and development initiatives 1 1 Profile

Annual training and development plan developed. 1 2 Profile

Compilation of monthly and quarterly reports 1 3 Profile

Constructive conflict resolution among staff 1 4 Profile

Determine the need for the development of policies and procedures for Compensation and Conditions of service. 1 4 Profile

Develop and implemented Human Resource Strategy and Plan 1 4 Profile

Development of HRD and Organizational Development policies 1 4 Profile

Development of Policy 1 1 Profile

Effective Management of allocated resources 1 3 Profile

Gender and disability mainstreaming 1 1 Profile

Knowledge of WCPP policy directives 1 5 Profile

Manage and implement EPMDS (Institutional and Sectional) 1 2 Profile

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Task Num Imp Source

Management of performance management, skills development and organizational development operations in the Legislature 1 4 Profile

Monthly and quarterly reports 1 4 Profile

Provide Management support for the review of Organogram and implementation thereof 1 2 Profile

Provide strategic leadership to the HRD and Organizational Development in the Legislature 1 4 Profile

Provides staff with hands on training to perform tasks. Monitors performance of staff to ensure that deadlines are met 1 3 Profile

Generic Management Occupations

In the logical approach to mapping managers shown in Figure 6, it was recommended that managers

that are not focussed on a functional area should be classified as:

2015-111207 Senior Government Manager if the manager is at executive level

2015-139404 Office Manager if the manager is more operationally focused

There are 3 relevant occupations in the OFO that could be used for Executive level managers

namely: 2015-111202 General Manager Public Service, 2015-111204 Senior Government Official and

2015-111207 Senior Government Manager. Since all three occupations are part of the same unit

group in the OFO (1112 Senior Government Officials), they share the same core tasks. As a result, for

the purposes of the skills audit, they can be collapsed into a single assessment but when mapping

individuals to the OFO, the legislatures can select the most appropriate given the context of the

position.

A total of 7 employees at executive level completed the skills audit questionnaire.The job titles

included in the current assessment include:

Chief of Staff: Office of the Speaker

Deputy Secretary

Executive Manager Parliamentary Operations

General Manager: Oversight

General Manager: SCM

Secretary of the Legislature

Table 13 shows that the match is good with a high average importance rating for all 7 employees

assessed are all high even though the posts themselves are very different. The specifics of the

function and context are shown in the additional tasks drawn from the individual profiles. Therefore,

there is strong support to map executive level managers to one of the three identified occupations

within the 2015-1112 unit group.

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Table 13 Task Importance for Executive Managers

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Chief of Staff: Office of the Speaker, Deputy Secretary, Executive Manager Parliamentary Operations, General Manager: Oversight, General Manager: SCM, Secretary of the Legislature

OFO Code

2015-111202 General Manager Public Service, 2015-111204 Senior Government Official and 2015-111207 Senior Government Manager

Tasks Advising national, state, regional or local governments and legislators on policy matters 7 3.7 OFO

Advising on the preparation of government budgets, laws and regulations, including amendments 7 3.7 OFO

Coordinating activities with other senior government managers and officials 7 3.6 OFO

Ensuring appropriate systems and procedures are developed and implemented to provide budgetary control 7 4.4 OFO

Establishing objectives for government departments or agencies in accordance with government legislation and policy 5 4.4 OFO

Formulating or approving and evaluating programs and procedures for the implementation of government polices in conjunction or consultation with government: 6 3.8 OFO

Making presentations to legislative and other government committees regarding policies programs or budgets 6 4.2 OFO

Overseeing the interpretation and implementation of government policies and legislation by government departments and agencies 6 3.8 OFO

Recommending, reviewing, evaluating and approving documents, briefs and reports submitted by middle managers and senior staff members 7 4.0 OFO

Develop and maintain the departmental supply chain management system in line with legislative and treasury norms and standards 1 5 Profile

Ensure management of divisional programme performance management in line with approved Annual Performance Plan 2 4.5 Profile

Financial management 2 4 Profile

Financial review and statutory reporting 1 4 Profile

Funding and monitoring funds allocated to political parties 1 4 Profile

General Management 1 5 Profile

Human Capital Management 1 4 Profile

Implementation of the Customized Legislative Sector documents 2 4.5 Profile

Manage and coordinate the provision of fleet management services 1 5 Profile

Manage and direct the provisioning of asset management and disposal services 1 5 Profile

Manage and direct the provisioning of demand and acquisition management service 1 1 Profile

Manage and oversee the provisioning of logistic and store management services 1 1 Profile

Manage the allocated resources of the Directorate in line with legislative and departmental policy directives 1 5 Profile

Management & Reporting 1 4 Profile

Management of decisions/ resolutions emanating from governance structures 2 3 Profile

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Task Num Imp Source

Management of divisional employee performance in line with the EPMDS policy 2 4 Profile

Overall Management of procedural services division 1 4 Profile

Review the integrated support plan and ensure that all role players are aware of support functions 1 5 Profile

Risk Management 1 4 Profile

Risk Management 2 4.5 Profile

Strategic Management and leadership of the division 2 4.5 Profile

Strategic capacity and leadership: provide strategic guidance and advice on matters relating to the core business 2 4 Profile

Strategic Management 1 5 Profile

There were a few job titles that were mapped to one of the three occupations mentioned above but

were excluded from the analysis shown in Table 10. They are:

Senior Manager: Institutional Support

Senior Manager: Office of the Secretary to the Legislature

Unit Manager: International Relations

In these occupations, the tasks listed in the OFO were rated as less important to their function. It is

hypothesised that this is because it would have been a better fit to map them to the more

operational code 2015-139404 Office Manager. While it is not known for certain that this code

would be more relevant, there is evidence to suggest that it would. There were 10 similar middle to

senior level managers in the skills audit that were assessed against the Office Manager OFO code.

They are:

Manager (Economic Cluster)

Manager (Member’s Affairs)

Manager (NCOP & Program)

Manager (Proceedings & Tabling)

Manager (Pub Participation & Education)

Manager (Social Cluster)

Manager Committees

Manager Office of the Deputy Speaker

Manager Plenary Support

Manager: Office Support

As can be seen there is a broad scope of jobs within the assessment but the core activities as

represented by the OFO tasks are all rated highly. Table 14 shows that even though there are 10

employees represented across 10 occupations, the core of their function remains the same and

therefore the mapping to the OFO is a fair reflection of their role. The average importance is slightly

lower per task because not all managers will place the same importance on all items.

34

Table 14 Task Importance for middle to senior managers

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Manager (Economic Cluster),Manager (Member’s Affairs),Manager (NCOP & Program),Manager (Proceedings & Tabling),Manager (Pub Participation & Education),Manager (Social Cluster),Manager Committees, Manager Office of the Deputy Speaker, Manager Plenary Support, Manager: Office Support

OFO Code

2015-139404 (Office Manager)

Tasks Controlling administrative operations such as budget planning, report preparation, expenditure on supplies, equipment and services 10 4.3 OFO

Coordinating cooperation with other service provision agencies in the same or related fields 9 3.1 OFO

Developing, implementing and monitoring procedures, policies and standards for staff 10 3.4 OFO

Directing, supervising and evaluating the work activities of professional technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel 9 3.7 OFO

Managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources 9 3.7 OFO

Monitoring and evaluating resources devoted to the provision of services 9 3.8 OFO

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff 9 3.8 OFO

Planning, directing and coordinating the provision of services 10 4.1 OFO

Providing overall direction and management for a service, facility, organization or centre 8 4.3 OFO

Assist the Executive Authority with official and organizational reporting mechanisms 1 2 Profile

Booking meetings, preparing documents for meetings and recording minutes and mail within set time frames 1 2 Profile

Build and maintain sound relations with institutional stakeholders 1 4 Profile

Compile and manage Legislature Programme framework 1 5 Profile

Compile annual report on the activities of Committees of the House 1 4 Profile

Conduct annual departmental strategic planning and quarterly strategic reviews in line with overall organisational strategic planning processes 1 5 Profile

Control access to the Deputy Speaker 1 4 Profile

Develop seating plans annually for the Official Parliamentary Opening and other events 1 4 Profile

Ensure adherence to Rules and Procedures of the Legislature in committee meetings and provide advice when necessary 1 2 Profile

Ensure and facilitate effective management of all employee relations matters in the department 1 4 Profile

Ensure effectiveness and sustainability of the department through strategic and operational oversight 1 5 Profile

Ensure integration of NCOP matters in Committee work 1 3 Profile

Inputs from each head/supervisor co-odinated in plan 2 3.5 Profile

Keep track of passage of legislation up to enactment 1 4 Profile

35

Task Num Imp Source

Knowledge of WCCPP policy directives 1 4 Profile

Liaise with all sections in Parliamentary Services to ensure maximum public participation and overall effectiveness of the hearings 1 4 Profile

Liaise with counterparts in Legislatures in other provinces for benchmarking and other research and operational purposes. 1 3 Profile

Liaise with Security services to ensure proper safety measures are employed depending on the VIP status of guests and individuals visiting the precint 1 2 Profile

Liaise with staff/management/external institutions on behalf of Depute Speaker to provide and obtain information or to co-ordinate arrangements 1 3 Profile

Manage and coordinate the Provincial Speakers` Forum 1 2 Profile

Manage and sustain collaborative relations with national and international stakeholders 1 3 Profile

Manage of NCOP liaison matters 1 5 Profile

Manage the coordination of Legislature and Sectoral events. 1 5 Profile

Management of plenar support section 1 5 Profile

Management of pro-active research 1 5 Profile

management of research interns 1 2 Profile

Monitor the following up of resolutions by Committee staff and ensure that Chairpersons receive comprehensive support 1 4 Profile

plan submitted to executive manager 2 2.5 Profile

Provide secretarial/administrative function to Deputy Speaker 1 4 Profile

Report on all quarterly and annual planning, managerial duties and functions of the Department 1 4 Profile

Strategies and funding of strategies co-ordinated in plan 2 4 Profile

Written strategic plan to be submitted once a year 2 4 Profile

Professionals

The professional occupations cut across a wide array of functional areas. Based on an analysis of the

full population of 2506 employees, there are 51 occupations representing 267 different job titles.

The most significant for the purposes of the legislatures are:

Researchers (2015-242202 Policy Analyst)

Hansard Services which includes:

o Editors (2015-134904 Office Manager or 2015-264102 Book or Script Editor)

o Reporter or Transcribers (2015-413101 Word Processing Operator) which are

discussed under Clerical and Support Workers

o Language Services (2015-264301 Interpreter, 2015-264302 Translator, 2015-264303

Linguist)

Librarians (2015-262201 Librarian)

Communications Related Professionals (2015-243201 Communication Coordinator, 2015-

243203 Corporate Communication Manager)

36

Finance related professionals (2015-241101 Accountant (General), 2015-241102

Management Accountant, 2015-242211 Internal Auditor & 2015-242208 Organisational Risk

Manager)

The above occupations represent 74% of professional employees.

Researchers represent the biggest group of professionals in the sector. There are 139 research

related professionals in the sector.

Curiously, they do not have their own code on the OFO. Instead, they are included under broader

occupation Policy Analyst. While it is not a perfect match, the tasks on the OFO are a fair reflection

on the daily activities of the researchers in the legislature. Table 15 shows that the importance on all

OFO tasks is 3.0 which is only slightly lower than the average on KPAs from the job profiles of 3.2.

Therefore, it is recommended that researchers be mapped to the OFO code 2015-242202 Policy

Analyst

Table 15 Task Importance for Researchers

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Researcher, Senior Researcher, SNR Researcher /Budget Analyst

OFO Code

2015-242202 (Policy Analyst)

Tasks Assessing impacts, financial implications, interactions with other programs and political and administrative feasibility of policies

3 3.3 OFO

Conducting threat and risk assessments and developing responses 3 2.7 OFO

Formulating and analyzing policy options, preparing briefing papers and recommendations for policy changes, and advising on preferred options

2 3.5 OFO

Liaising and consulting with program administrators and other interested parties to identify policy needs

3 3.0 OFO

Researching social, economic and industrial trends, and client expectations of programs and services provided

2 3.0 OFO

Reviewing existing policies and legislation to identify anomalies and out-of-date provisions

2 3.0 OFO

Reviewing operations and programs to ensure consistency with policies of the organization

2 3.0 OFO

Accompany MPLs to committee meetings, debates, workshops, forums, parliamentary sittings, study tours, oversight and public hearings

2 4.5 Profile

Advise members of committees and sub-ordinates on legislative and regulatory requirements

1 4 Profile

Assist with the design of research frameworks, methodologies and instruments, and research fieldwork, and the interpretation of research findings.

1 1 Profile

Attend all meetings of assigned standing and portfolio committees to ensure that research services and facilities are available to the committee at all times.

1 4 Profile

37

Task Num Imp Source

Attend to all human resource administrative functions in the unit, including leave and overtime.

1 4 Profile

Brief Chairperson on research report analysis at briefing meeting. 1 1 Profile

Collaborate and assist with Parliamentary and Legislature events and programmes as required.

1 2 Profile

Communicate and ensure that deadlines are met on operational plan 1 4 Profile

Compare and analyse departmental plans and budgets against performance reports as received from provincial department, entities and municipalities

1 5 Profile

Compare and analyse departmental plans and budgets against performance reports as received from provincial departments, entities and municipalities

1 4 Profile

Comply with institutional records and management requirements 1 3 Profile

Design and manage research requests and studies to answer specific research questions as requested by the Speaker, Committees and senior employees in the Legislature.

1 3 Profile

Develop research questions to be posed to departments, municipalities and public entities.

1 4 Profile

Develop resource documents for sectoral parliamentary events e.g. Women’s Parliament, Youth Parliament, etc

1 3 Profile

Development of Resource documents and information guide on study tour destinations

1 3 Profile

Distribute committee report to members after consultation with chairperson then brief the committee at briefing meeting on.

1 1 Profile

Establish research standards and quality control techniques and procedures.

1 4 Profile

For institutional research projects, identify and facilitate the use of appropriate research frameworks and methodologies

1 4 Profile

Identify, propose and conduct pre- and post oversight research and develop reports for committees

1 5 Profile

Liaise with counterparts in other Legislatures for inter-provincial relations, benchmarking and collaboration purposes

1 2 Profile

Monitor the development and performance of assigned departments, municipalities and entities through various information sources such as media reports, policies and research reports

1 4 Profile

Oversee and manage performance management processes for direct reports.

1 4 Profile

Participate in sectoral fora activities 1 2 Profile

Participate in the development of a strategic plan, annual performance and operational plan for the research and information service unit

1 4 Profile

Performs own typing, faxing, photocopying and filing of documents 2 4 Profile

Prepare Budget Vote, Annual, half year financial oversight reports and quarterly reports of relevant Portfolio against Strategic Plan, compliance issues through the analysis of the Strategic Plan, APP, OP, and Policy Speech against SONA, SOPA, Budget Speech and White Book comparing and linking with previous Annual Reports, Ruling Party Manifesto, MDGs, NDP, PDGP, DORA and FFC. Prepare briefing report before first meeting of Committee referring to the prepared

1 1 Profile

38

Task Num Imp Source

Budget Analysis, Responses to House Resolutions, 4-Quarterly and Annual Reports.

Prepare documentation for public hearings as well as assist other departments

1 3 Profile

Present recommendations and proposals and disseminate research findings in accordance with international best practice

1 3 Profile

Present research findings and analysis outcomes to members of Standing and Portfolio committees

1 4 Profile

Provide comprehensive quarterly reports on all research activities 1 4 Profile

Provide input on budget constraints of individual department to be considered by Finance on the appropriation Bill

1 1 Profile

Provide inputs for quarterly reports on all research activities 1 4 Profile

Submit performance evidence as part of portfolio 2 4 Profile

Hansard services revolve around generating, distributing and indexing verbatim transcripts of the

proceedings in the house. This is a function unique to the Legislature which can make mapping to

the OFO difficult. There are commonly 3 different roles within the broader Hansard service which

includes editors / managing editor, the language services and the reporters / transcribers. The first 2

are unpacked below with the latter being discussed under Clerical and Support Workers.

Hansard Editors are responsible for the both the overall service to the house and the people within

the unit. As such it could be argued that their role is more managerial than technical. Since they are

usually graded as a deputy director, the OFO for Office Manager may be appropriate. Alternatively,

the technical functions are captured by the code 2015-264102 Book or Script Editor. The skills audit

included 4 Hansard editors covering both occupations.

The importance rating from the skills audit show a good match to the OFO and based on the findings

in Table 16 below. It is therefore recommended that:

The person in charge of the department should be classified as an Office Manager. The title

could be anything from Managing Editor to Manager: Hansard Services but the core function

is related more to management than the technical elements of Hansard.

The junior / assistant editors will be more involved on a technical level and as such can be

captured as an Editor. It is further recommended that Hansard Editor be added as an

alternative title to OFO code 2015-264102 Book or Script Editor.

39

Table 16 Task Importance for Hansard Editors

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Assistant Editor: Hansard and Language Services Managing Editor: Hansard and Language Services

OFO Code

2015-134904 Office Manager or 2015-264102 Book or Script Editor

Tasks Managing Editor: Hansard and Language Services (2015-134904 Office Manager)

Assisting in recruitment, interviewing, and selection of employees 1 2 OFO

Controlling administrative operations such as budget planning, report preparation, expenditure on supplies, equipment and services 1 4 OFO

Coordinating cooperation with other service provision agencies in the same or related fields 1 3 OFO

Developing, implementing and monitoring procedures, policies and standards for staff 1 4 OFO

Directing, supervising and evaluating the work activities of professional technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel 1 4 OFO

Establishing work schedules and procedures and co-coordinating activities with other work units or departments 1 2 OFO

Managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources 1 4 OFO

Monitoring and evaluating resources devoted to the provision of services 1 3 OFO

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff 1 2 OFO

Planning, directing and coordinating the provision of services 1 4 OFO

Providing overall direction and management for a service, facility, organization or centre 1 4 OFO

Resolving work-related problems and preparing and submitting progress and other reports 1 4 OFO

Staff development and performance management 1 4 Profile

To ensure production and distribution of Hansard Verbatim reports in volumes at the rate of one per sitting 1 5 Profile

To ensure provision of quality verbatim transcription of Members’ draft floor speeches of debates and Questions for Oral Reply, and distributing them within 3 days 1 5 Profile

To manage the rendering of language services by ensuring the provision interpreting services at sittings of the Legislature and other functions of the Legislature as shall be requested from time to time, and the provision of general language services for the institution 1 5 Profile

To plan, direct, co-ordinate and oversee the operations of Hansard unit and prepare budget for the unit. Manage staff for optimum performance 1 5 Profile

Assistant Editor: Hansard and Language Services (2015-264102 Book or Script Editor)

Analyzing material, such as specifications, notes and drawings, and writing manuals, user guides and other documents to explain clearly and concisely the installation, operation and 1 5 OFO

40

Task Num Imp Source

maintenance of software, electronic, mechanical and other equipment;

Conceiving, writing and editing novels, plays, scripts, poetry and other material for publication or presentation 1 5 OFO

Conducting research to establish factual content and to obtain other necessary information 2 4 OFO

Selecting material for publication, checking style, grammar and accuracy of content, arranging for any necessary revisions and checks proof copies before printing 2 3 OFO

Writing brochures, handbooks and similar technical publications 2 3 OFO

Writing scripts and continuities and preparing programmes for stage, film, radio and television productions 1 5 OFO

Accurate interpreting from floor languages provided 2 5 Profile

Indexing of Hansard Volumes 2 5 Profile

Proofread transcriptions from Reporters and act as a custodian of isiNdebel 2 5 Profile

Provide simultaneous interpreting during Sittings of the House 2 5 Profile

Provide verbatim transcriptions and editing/collating of Members’ draft speeches of debates and Questions for Oral Reply. 2 5 Profile

Translating documents and speeches of the House 2 3 Profile

Apart from recording, editing, proofreading and publishing the debates of the House, the Hansard

unit also renders Language Services to the Legislature which includes translation and interpreting.

Bills, explanatory memoranda, schedules and other official documents such as petitions will usually

require translations. Interpreting on the other hand, is provided during sittings of the House, off-site

sittings of the Legislature, sector parliaments, committee meetings (on request), pre-hearings on

Bills, public hearings on Bills and any educational workshops pertaining to legislation

(http://kznlegislature.gov.za/hansard-and-language-services/ Accessed December 2016)

There are three occupations on the OFO that match these responsibilities namely Interpreter,

Translator and Linguist. Table 17 shows that the tasks as defined in the OFO are not particularly

relevant. However, rather than argue against the use of the OFO occupations, the highly rated

profile tasks should be used to broaden the understanding of the function as it relates to the

Legislative Sector.

41

Table 17 Task Ratings for Language Practitioners

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Language Practitioner, Senior Interpreter

OFO Code

2015-264301 Interpreter, 2015-264302 Translator, 2015-264303 Linguist

Tasks Advising on or preparing language classification systems, grammars, dictionaries and similar materials 3 3.3 OFO

Developing methods for the use of computers and other instruments to improve productivity and quality of translation 3 3.3 OFO

Revising and correcting translated material 3 3.0 OFO

Studying relationships between ancient parent languages and modern language groups, tracing the origin evolution of words, grammar and language forms, and presenting findings 3 1.3 OFO

Accountable for employee relations in the section 1 4 Profile

Assists in determining aspects of editorial policy 1 4 Profile

Assists in setting language and orthography standards 1 4 Profile

Consultation with language practitioners at provincial legislatures and other government departments 1 4 Profile

Ensures that references and terminology are uniform 1 4 Profile

Identify training and development needs for employees 1 4 Profile

Liaises with IT Unit regarding equipment as well as external technicians regarding repairs and maintenance of equipment 1 4 Profile

Liaises with other Departments/Units within the Institution to align programs and efforts 1 4 Profile

Liaises with other Legislatures, national/provincial departments, National/Provincial and Language Bodies in respect of language development 1 4 Profile

Oversee and manage performance management process 1 4 Profile

Prepare and submit monthly risk management and audit action plans to the Executive Manager 1 4 Profile

Prepares quarterly, annual and ad hoc reports on the performance of the unit. 1 4 Profile

Proofreads printer’s work 1 4 Profile

Provide quarterly reports on the operational and strategic objectives to Executive manager 1 4 Profile

Reads print out debates 1 4 Profile

Submit a needs analysis for supply chain management 1 3 Profile

Submit all required HR reports 1 4 Profile

Terminology development 1 5 Profile

The library of Parliament is a special library, which seeks to fulfil the information needs and

requirement of Members of Parliament, Ministers and Parliamentary staff by providing unbiased

relevant information and publications. The Library is a legal deposit library, meaning that it is

entitled to claim a copy of every publication in printed and electronic form published in South Africa.

42

(www.parliament.gov.za Accessed December 2016). There are 44 Librarians in the total population

of 2506 employees. It is a significant role for the sector as they provide help in finding information,

lending materials both from the Library's own collections and as interlibrary loans from other

libraries.

There were 5 librarians in the skills audit sample who rated the OFO tasks with an average

importance of 4.2. Therefore, there is a very good match to the occupation 2015-262201 Librarian.

Table 18 Task Importance for Librarians

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Assistant Librarian, Assistant Manager: Document Management, Information Services, Librarian

OFO Code

2015-262201 Librarian

Tasks Conducting research and analysing or modifying library and information services in accordance with changes in users' needs 5 4 OFO

Devising and implementing schemes and conceptual models for the storage, organization, classification and retrieval of information 5 4 OFO

Managing library borrowing and inter-library loan facilities and information networks 5 4.4 OFO

Organizing, classifying and cataloguing library material 5 4.4 OFO

Organizing, developing and maintaining a systematic collection of books, periodicals and other printed, audio-visually and digitally recorded material 5 4 OFO

Performing manual, on-line and interactive media reference searches, making interlibrary loans and performing other functions to assist users in accessing library materials 3 4.7 OFO

Preparing scholarly papers and reports 3 4.3 OFO

Retrieving material and providing information to business and other users based on the collection itself or on library and information-network systems; 4 4.8 OFO

Selecting and recommending acquisitions of books and other printed or audio-visually and digitally recorded material 5 4 OFO

Authorise payments for services/goods rendered to the library 1 5 Profile

Conduct an annual user survey and use the feedback to improve on library services and facilities 1 4 Profile

Corporate support to Members and Staff to perform their duties effectively 1 4 Profile

Effective, efficient and economic management of resources and systems 1 3 Profile

Implement the Library Policy and market the services of the library to create awareness of library services and facilities among stakeholders. 1 5 Profile

Keep abreast of developments and trends in the information and library sector and introduce the necessary changes into the Legislature’s information provision and management systems as required. 1 4 Profile

Legislative knowledge 1 1 Profile

Maintain AMLIB (computerised library system), keep it updated, allocate passwords and set up the calendar. 1 5 Profile

43

Task Num Imp Source

Maintain clippings booklet in library 1 5 Profile

Manage the daily and weekly supply of newspapers to MPLs and senior officials in the Legislature 1 5 Profile

Marketing of Services 1 3 Profile

Obtain input and recommendations from MPLs and employees regarding publications to be acquired. 1 5 Profile

Participate in the development of a operational plan for the research and information service unit 1 5 Profile

Plan all library related activities in line with operational plan of Research and Information Services. 1 5 Profile

Provide information services to users inclusive of members, committees, employees of the Legislature, other public servants, and the general public 1 5 Profile

Provide input for the annual budget requirements for the library in line with strategic objectives and budget cycle 1 1 Profile

Provide timely, proactive and reactive high quality information and library support to Members and Staff 1 4 Profile

Submit performance evidence as part of portfolio. 1 5 Profile

To ensure optimal use of resources within the unit by managing junior staff and compile quarterly reports 1 5 Profile

To ensure that all document management staff understand their responsibilities in order to reduce complaints from clients 1 2 Profile

To ensure that information can be identified and retrieved when required by providing well-structured records classification systems and record keeping systems 1 5 Profile

To ensure that there is a systematic disposal program in place 1 5 Profile

To ensure the electronic document management system is implemented 1 5 Profile

Communications Related Professionals cover roles from Public Relations to Media Liaison. There are

42 posts with job titles similar to the above in the 7 organisations included in the study. The main

occupation on the OFO covering the core activities associated with these roles is 2015-243201

Communication Coordinator. It is proposed therefore that the majority of communications related

job titles in the legislative sector be classified under this code.

The skills audit sample only had 2 correctly completed questionnaires against the code 2015-243201

Communication Coordinator. Table 19 shows that it appears to be a good match but a broader

sample would be ideal to be certain.

44

Table 19 Task importance for Communication Professionals

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Communications Practitioner, Media Officer, Regional Liaison Officer

OFO Code

2015-243201 Communication Coordinator

Tasks Advising executives on the public relations implications of their policies, programs and practices preparing and controlling the issue of news and press releases 1 4 OFO

Attending business, social and other functions to promote the organization 1 4 OFO

Commissioning and obtaining photographs and other illustrative material 1 3 OFO

Organizing special events, seminars, entertainment, competitions and social functions to promote goodwill and favourable publicity 1 4 OFO

Planning and organizing publicity campaigns and communication strategies 2 4.5 OFO

Representing organizations and arranging interviews with publicity media 2 4.5 OFO

Selecting, appraising and revising material submitted by publicity writers, photographers, illustrators and others to create favourable publicity 1 4 OFO

Undertaking and commissioning public opinion research, analyzing the findings and planning public relations and promotional campaigns 1 5 OFO

Collates and compiles articles for distribution to regional publications, municipal newsletter and community newspapers. 1 4 Profile

Compile and submit monthly, quarterly and annual reports and workplans to the Public Education Manager. 1 5 Profile

Contribute to /and take part in all the planning activities of the unit, including strategic planning and performance planning. 1 4 Profile

Contribute to and facilitate all the reporting activities of the unit 1 5 Profile

Creates awareness of the proceedings and the work of Committees of the Legislature by improving and enhancing the image of the institution and conducting educational and informative tours 1 4 Profile

Develops and implements systems to enhance the management of curio shop, event management of all internal projects for instance. The World Aids day for all staff. 1 3 Profile

Handles internal and external correspondence pertaining to area of responsibility. 1 4 Profile

Handles internal communication issues affecting staff in the institution, production of the Legislature internal newsletter, maintain and strengthen the flow of communication between management and staff 1 4 Profile

Liaises with Regional Liaison Officers with regards to programmes and activities at regional level. 1 4 Profile

Manage all incoming and outgoing communication effectively 1 5 Profile

Monitors legislature’s expenditure on media within the framework of the budget allocation 1 3 Profile

Public education and engagement 1 5 Profile

Work closely with and assist staff and members on activities relating to the public relations interests of the Legislature. 1 5 Profile

45

There were a group of jobs that were originally included in the OFO code for Communication

Coordinator, namely Public Participation / Education Officers. It was found that the importance

ratings on OFO activities were low with the exception of the tasks relating to the coordination of

events. Furthermore, if the high-ranking activities from the job profiles are examined, the focus is on

organising groups and tours for the public to the legislature. Therefore, a more appropriate OFO

Code may be 2015-243204 Event Producer. Since the occupation is from the same unit group, the

OFO tasks will be the same. The most appropriate mapping will therefore be based on whether the

individual post has a greater focus on communication or events.

Table 20 Task Importance for Public Participation Officer

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Public Participation Officer

OFO Code

2015-243204 Event Producer OR 2015-243201 Communication Coordinator

Tasks Attending business, social and other functions to promote the organization 1 1 OFO

Commissioning and obtaining photographs and other illustrative material 1 1 OFO

Organizing special events, seminars, entertainment, competitions and social functions to promote goodwill and favourable publicity 1 3 OFO

Planning and organizing publicity campaigns and communication strategies 1 4 OFO

Undertaking and commissioning public opinion research, analyzing the findings and planning public relations and promotional campaigns 1 1 OFO

Assist in the development of a demographically informed Public Participation data base 1 3 Profile

Facilitate visits to the Legislatures by schools, international guests 1 4 Profile

Make logistical arrangements for Institutionalised days 1 4 Profile

Technicians and Associate Professionals

A total of 481 out of the 2506 employees were classified as Technicians and Associate Professionals.

These included roles specific to the sector as well as more transversal jobs. Both types are fairly well

represented on the OFO and are shown in detail below.

The most significant groups of technicians / associate professionals are:

Committee Coordinators (2015-334101 Office Supervisor OR New Occupation)

Procedural Officers (Add to an expanded unit group 2015-3341)

Executive Secretaries / Personal Assistants (2015-334302 Personal Assistant)

ICT Technical Support (2015-35 Information and Communications Technicians)

46

Procurement / Supply Chain Officers and Practitioners (2015-333905 Supply Chain

Practitioner, 2015-332302 Purchasing Officer, 2015-333911 Physical Asset Practitioner)

Committee Coordinator is a function that does not have a natural home in the OFO. This is

evidenced by the fact that during the initial desktop mapping process, it was mapped to occupations

from Professional to Clerical occupations. It is specific to the legislative sector and is present in all

the legislatures included in the study. Excluding managers and administrators, there are 79

Committee Coordinators in the 7 organisations in the study. Of those, 21 completed a skills audit

questionnaire under 3 different OFO Codes. Unfortunately, none of the occupations seem an ideal

match.

The core of the job can be gleaned from the most highly rated KPAs from the job profiles. These are:

Coordinating Committee activities (importance 3.9)

Provide procedural advice to the committee (importance 4.1)

Compiling committee reports (importance 4.5)

Process the feedback on implementation of resolutions (importance 3.7)

Filing, administration and miscellaneous clerical functions (importance 3.1)

The closest match to this function is 2015-334101 Office Supervisor. The tasks associated with this

function are:

1. Training and instructing employees in job duties, safety procedures and company policies, or

arranging for training to be provided

2. Resolving work-related problems and preparing and submitting progress and other reports

3. Assisting in recruitment, interviewing, and selection of employees

4. Establishing work schedules and procedures and co-coordinating activities with other work

units or departments

While not an ideal mapping, it provides a starting point. Items 2 and 4 are loosely related to bullet

points 3 and 1 respectively. The more senior committee coordinators may be involved in training

and / or selection of staff. Having said that, it may be worth investigating adding a new occupation

for “Committee Coordinator” under the unit group 2015-3341 Office supervisors. The new code

would be 2015-334103. However, engagement with the legislatures for confirmation is

recommended prior to making requests to change the OFO.

If an additional occupation is created under the recommended unit group, at least 1 additional task

would need to be included so that the scope of the unit group is suitably broadened. It is

recommended that this be focused on providing procedural advice to committees in a legislature.

47

Table 21 Task importance for Committee Coordinator

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Committee Coordinator Senior Committee Coordinator

OFO Code

2015-333910 Business Support Coordinator 2015-334101 Office Supervisor 2015-441903 Program or Project Administrators

Tasks 2015-333910 Business Support Coordinator

Negotiating contracts on behalf of seller or buyer and explaining terms of sale and payment to client

1 1.0 OFO

Obtaining information about services to be sold and needs of prospective buyers

1 1.0 OFO

Selling by auction various kinds of property, cars, commodities, livestock, art, jewellery and other objects

3 2.3 OFO

Compile Committee Report 10 4.5 Profile

Coordinate Committee Activities 10 4.3 Profile

Compile reports of the Committee 10 4.5 Profile

Keep proper filing of all Committee Documents 9 3.7 Profile

Organise Committee Activities (meetings, public hearings, site visits and study tours, i.e. national and international

10 3.5 Profile

Process feedback on the implementation of the Resolutions of the House

9 3.3 Profile

Process the feedback on the implementation of the Resolutions of the House.

10 4.0 Profile

Provide procedural and professional administrative support to the Portfolio Committee on Education; Culture, Sport and Recreation

8 4.0 Profile

Providing Procedural Advice To The Committee 10 4.3 Profile

2015-334101 Office Supervisor

Assisting in recruitment, interviewing, and selection of employees 3 2.3 OFO

Establishing work schedules and procedures and co-coordinating activities with other work units or departments

3 3.0 OFO

Resolving work-related problems and preparing and submitting progress and other reports

3 3.3 OFO

Training and instructing employees in job duties, safety procedures and company policies, or arranging for training to be provided

3 3.0 OFO

Evaluating employees’ job performance and conformance to regulations, and recommending appropriate personnel action

3 3.0 Profile

Management of cluster and supporting manager with management of the section

3 3.3 Profile

Scuitinizing legislation referred to and processed by committee 3 3.3 Profile

2015-441903 Program or Project Administrators

Classifying and filing various documents and other records 8 2.5 OFO

Coding 4 1.0 OFO

Correcting proofs 7 2.9 OFO

Maintaining personnel records 3 3.0 OFO

Performing a number of miscellaneous clerical duties 5 3.2 OFO

Reading newspapers, magazines, press releases and other publications to locate and file articles of interest to staff and clients

1 4.0 OFO

48

Task Num Imp Source

Writing on behalf of persons who are unable to read and write 3 2.0 OFO

Rotate and ensure that Committees in the cluster sit during the allocated Committee slots

1 4.0 Profile

Analyse and establish progress made by Committees within the cluster

1 4.0 Profile

Ensure that a report is compiled and quality check 1 4.0 Profile

Ensure that Committee reports are produced and quality check the reports

1 4.0 Profile

Ensure that the coordination of public hearings is intact. 1 4.0 Profile

Input and consolidate budget inputs of Committees within the cluster in line with Committee plans.

1 4.0 Profile

Input on a number of slots needed by Committees within the cluster 1 4.0 Profile

Monitor expenditure patterns of Committees within the cluster 1 4.0 Profile

Plan complile & monitor committee documents 7 4.4 Profile

Provide advisory services to Committees during the Strategic Planning 1 4.0 Profile

Provide procedural & administrative Support to the standing commitees

7 3.9 Profile

Publicise Public Hearings 1 4.0 Profile

Submit consolidated budget inputs to the Unit Manager 1 4.0 Profile

To ensure smoothly run committee activities 7 3.9 Profile

Understanding of legal framework & procedures aplliance to committee

7 3.7 Profile

There are 29 Procedural Officers in the 7 participating organisations. Unfortunately, there were no

Procedural Officers that completed the skills audit. Based on an analysis of the OFO, it is possible

that Procedural Officers can be added (either as an occupation or an alternative title) to the same

unit group as Committee Coordinators. If the scope of the unit group was expanded to include:

“Provide procedural advice to the committee,” it would be a logical extension to add Procedural

Officers to the same unit group. If additional data can be gained through an extension to the skills

audit, this assertion can be tested.

The largest group of employees in technicians and associate professionals is Executive Secretaries /

Personal Assistants. There are at least 128 employees in the group with the most appropriate

mapping being to OFO 2015-334302 Personal Assistant. Table 22 shows that it is a good match.

There is a large amount of variation in the specific activities based on the context of the posts.

However, the core of the function remains the same and consistent.

49

Table 22 Task Importance for Personal Assistants / Executive Secretaries

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Executive Secretary, Personal Assistant, Secretary to [...]

OFO Code

2015-334302 Personal Assistant

Tasks Drafting administrative correspondence and minutes 10 3.8 OFO

Screening requests for meetings, scheduling and organizing meetings and travel arrangements 10 3.3 OFO

Assisting in the preparation of budgets, monitoring of expenditures, drafting of contracts and purchasing or acquisition orders 9 3.1 OFO

Liaising with other staff about a range of matters relating to the organization’s operations 8 3.0 OFO

Obtaining, proposing and monitoring deadlines and follow-up dates 10 2.8 OFO

Supervising the work of clerical support workers 5 2.6 OFO

Writing and answering business or technical letters and other similar correspondence 10 2.6 OFO

Preparing verbatim reports of proceedings in legislative assemblies, courts of law or other places using shorthand or specialised office equipment 4 2.0 OFO

Assist the Secretary to the Legislature to plan the activities of the Office 1 5.0 Profile

Coordinate the activities of the Management Commmittee (MANCOM) and provide administrative support to MANCOM 1 5.0 Profile

Ensure and facilitate effective management of all employee relations matters in the department 1 5.0 Profile

Liaise with the Manager: M&E and Risk to create an annual and monthly plans reflecting all the activities of the Office 1 5.0 Profile

Provide other administrative functions as required to the Executive Manager 2 5.0 Profile

Secretarial function to Executive Manager Legal, NCOP & Proceedings & Hansard Services 1 5.0 Profile

Control access to the Executive Manager 2 4.5 Profile

Receive monthly reports from sections within the division 1 4.0 Profile

Compilation received reports from different sections into one consolidated report 1 4.0 Profile

Remind sections within the division for submission of required reports on time 1 4.0 Profile

Type all communications as received from Executive Manager 2 3.0 Profile

Monitor and control stationery usage against budget provision 2 2.5 Profile

Interact with IT unit for recording and presentation devices to be activated 1 2.0 Profile

Receive documents/ meeting presentations from presenters for photocopying 1 2.0 Profile

Welcome visitors with courtesy and respect for maintenance of good image of the CFOs office 1 2.0 Profile

Make copies of documents in preparation of the meeting 2 1.5 Profile

50

Task Num Imp Source

Assess incoming and outgoing work and distribute it where it is required. 1 1.0 Profile

Receive documents/ meeting presentations from presenters for photocopying 1 1.0 Profile

Respond to and redirect enquiries to relevant offices 2 1.0 Profile

Circulate attendance register in the meetings 1 1.0 Profile

Diary management 1 1.0 Profile

Ensure all apologies for the meeting are in writing 1 1.0 Profile

Facilitate the neatness of the office 1 1.0 Profile

Interact with IT unit for recording and presentation devices to be activated 1 1.0 Profile

Maintain close and sound working relations with project and programme staff and managers in the NCPL 1 1.0 Profile

Maintain proper records management for future reference 1 1.0 Profile

Plan and manage the diary and programme of the Secretary to the NCPL 1 1.0 Profile

Prepare Notices, minutes, Agenda’s and reports for MANCOM meetings 1 1.0 Profile

Prepare travel arrangements 1 1.0 Profile

Receive phone calls and record messages 1 1.0 Profile

Take minutes during meetings 1 1.0 Profile

Type letters and memoranda 1 1.0 Profile

Verify the confirmation of the trip 1 1.0 Profile

The last two groups of employees are transversal occupations that have well represented

occupations employees on the OFO. The details for ICT technicians and supply chain practitioners

are shown in the table below. The same argument that was made for transversal professional

occupations is relevant here as well. The OFO codes represent the roles well and the most

appropriate should be selected based on the specialisation of the post.

The key to correctly allocating the employees to these transversal areas is to correctly distinguish

between professional, technician and clerical functions. If there is a confusion in allocating an

employee to the OFO, an examination of the OFO description and tasks in comparison to the job

profile will indicate the level of responsibility and complexity. This will inform the mapping.

Only ICT and SCM technicians are detailed here but the same principle applies to all transversal

fields.

51

Table 23 Profile of ICT and SCM Technicians

Group ICT Technicians SCM Practitioners

Number of Employees

32 47

Example of Job Titles

Senior Desktop Technician, ERP Functional Support, Network Technician, Service Desk Technician, Helpdesk Operator, ICT Officer

Procurement Officer, Supply Chain Management Officer, SCM Practitioner, Expenditure & Procurement Controller, Practitioner: Procurement

OFO Codes

2015-351101 Computer Operator 2015-351201 ICT Communications Assistant 2015-351301 Computer Network Technician 2015-351302 Geographic Information Systems Technicians 2015-351401 Web Technician 2015-352101 Broadcast Transmitter Operator 2015-352102 Camera Operator (Film, Television or Video) 2015-352103 Sound Technician 2015-352104 Television Equipment Operator 2015-352105 Radio Station Operator 2015-352106 Production Assistant (Film, Television or Radio) 2015-352201 Telecommunications Technical Officer or Technologist

2015-333905 Supply Chain Practitioner 2015-332302 Purchasing Officer 2015-333911 Physical Asset Practitioner

There were 9 ICT technicians in the skills audit covering 7 job titles. They were all classified into OFO

code 2015-351301 Computer Network Technician. The importance rating show that the core

functions are well represented in the OFO with the specificity of each job being represented in the

job profiles

Table 24 Task importance for ICT Technicians

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

ICT Assistant, ICT Officer, Information technology officer, Network Administrator, Network Technician, Technician

OFO Code

2015-351301 Computer Network Technician

Tasks Assisting users with network and data communications problems 8 2.9 OFO

Identifying areas needing upgraded equipment and software 9 4.1 OFO

Installing computer hardware, network software, operating system software and applications software

9 4.6 OFO

Operating and maintaining data communications systems other than networks

8 3.9 OFO

Operating, maintaining and troubleshooting network systems 8 3.8 OFO

Performing start up and close down as well as backup and disaster recovery operations for computer networks

6 3.2 OFO

Monitor intranet and internet web traffic 1 4.0 Profile

52

Task Num Imp Source

80/20 Preference point calculation 1 1.0 Profile

Acquisition and Deployment 1 4.0 Profile

Assist with the IT technical functions 2 4.0 Profile

Compliance with the Audit Management Letter 1 4.0 Profile

Contribute in the Sub-Sub Programme’s budgeting sessions 1 4.0 Profile

Co-ordinate implementation of Intranet systems and databases 1 4.0 Profile

Co-ordinate testing of Intranet systems 1 4.0 Profile

Designs own internal work processes to improve customer service 2 4.0 Profile

Filling of database forms and supporting documents 1 5.0 Profile

ICT SERVICE MANAGEMENT 1 5.0 Profile

ICT User Application Support Management 3 4.3 Profile

INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT AND ICT HARDWARE AND ICT SOFTWARE MANAGEMENT

1 4.0 Profile

Invitation of suppliers to register on Legislature’s database 1 3.0 Profile

IT AND AV SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE 1 5.0 Profile

Knowledge of ICT 3 5.0 Profile

Legislative knowledge 1 3.0 Profile

Maintain a list of prospective service providers 1 4.0 Profile

Monitor Legislature’s web presence 1 4.0 Profile

Monitoring of compliance with policies in all transactions, projects and processes

1 4.0 Profile

Participate in conceptual and graphic design of high quality Intranet systems and relational databases

1 4.0 Profile

Payment processing and sundry payment compliance checklist 1 4.0 Profile

Recordkeeping 2 4.5 Profile

Research new techniques, technology, solutions and software 1 4.0 Profile

Review and conduct quality control of Intranet systems 1 4.0 Profile

Submit suppliers documents for vetting 1 3.0 Profile

Systems kept updated and maintenance on systems 1 5.0 Profile

Take care of vulnerabilities in Intranet systems 1 4.0 Profile

Test Intranet systems for vulnerabilities 1 4.0 Profile

Verification of required documents 1 5.0 Profile

Verification of restricted/blacklisted suppliers 1 4.0 Profile

Similarly, the procurement related technicians fit the OFO well. Only three employees correctly

completed the skills audit questionnaire and were assessed against OFO code 2015-333905 Supply

Chain Practitioner. The importance ratings show that there is a good match on the three roles

included. There is no reason to expect further deviation on other roles as it is a standard transversal

occupation.

53

Table 25 Importance Ratings for Supply Chain Related Technicians

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Inventory Clerk, SCM Practitioner: Travel, Supply Chain Management Officer

OFO Code

2015-333905 Supply Chain Practitioner

Tasks Compiling inventories of furniture and other items received for storage 1 5 OFO

Making sure that the business service purchased is made available to the buyer in the agreed format at the agreed time 3 3.7 OFO

Negotiating contracts on behalf of seller or buyer and explaining terms of sale and payment to client 1 4 OFO

Obtaining information about services to be sold and needs of prospective buyers 1 4 OFO

Selling by auction various kinds of property, cars, commodities, livestock, art, jewellery and other objects 1 3 OFO

Signing agreements on behalf of seller or buyer and ensuring that contract is honoured 1 4 OFO

Adherence to all Legislature policies and procedures 1 4 Profile

Asset control sheet 1 5 Profile

Asset Management 1 4 Profile

Check and approve all reservations/requisitions of inventory items 1 5 Profile

Collection of invoices 1 5 Profile

Create materials and run periodical MRP (Materials Requirements Planning) reports on Sap System 1 5 Profile

Filing of booking vouchers 1 5 Profile

Financial and asset management 1 4 Profile

Financial Management Of Parliament and Provincial Legislatures Act Implementation 1 5 Profile

Generation and interrogation of stock reports on SAP system 1 5 Profile

Human resources management 1 2 Profile

Knowledge of WCPP policy directives 1 5 Profile

Materials creation and maintenance 1 5 Profile

Operational Management 1 4 Profile

Perform monthly reconciliation 1 5 Profile

Procurement and Provisioning 1 5 Profile

Promote sound administration to ensure organizational efficiencies 1 4 Profile

Reconciliation report 1 5 Profile

Required quotations and disposal report 1 5 Profile

Sourcing of quotations 1 5 Profile

Strategic Management 1 4 Profile

Updated asset register 1 5 Profile

54

Clerical and Support Workers

Clerical Support workers make up the biggest cohort of employees in the sector with just under a

quarter of all staff falling into this group. Having said that there is not a lot of variation in terms of

their functions. The majority of the employees are made up of:

Secretaries (2015-412101 Secretary (General))

Committee Assistants / Committee Administrators (2015-412101 Secretary (General) or

2015-411101 General Clerk)

Transcribers / Hansard Reporters (2015-413101 Word Processing Operator (Computer

Assisted Transcript Operator))

Reception / Switchboard Operators (2015-422601 Receptionist (General))

Clerks per transversal functional area

The figure reported as clerks based on the initial desktop OFO mapping process includes occupations

that (in hindsight) should not have been classified as clerks. The previous section showed that

Committee Coordinators should be classified as technicians whereas there is a portion that were

originally classified as clerks. Similarly, there needs to be a distinction between a secretary and a

personal assistant. Personal Assistants or Executive Secretaries are responsible for supporting a

single person, usually someone senior. The role therefore includes a high measure of responsibility

over the running of the office. A secretary on the other hand deals with more routine administrative

activities and may report to a single person or a team. When allocating secretaries therefore it is

important to examine the level of responsibility so that they can be mapped correctly.

Based on the current mapping there are 227 secretaries in the 7 legislatures and 20 of those

completed the skills audit. As is shown in Table 26, the match to the OFO is good.

Table 26 Task Importance for Secretaries

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Secretary

OFO Code

2015-412101 Secretary (General)

Tasks Checking, formatting and transcribing correspondence, minutes and reports from dictation, electronic documents or written drafts to conform to office standards, using typewriter, personal computer or other word processing equipment 17 3.2 OFO

Dealing with incoming or outgoing mail 20 3.3 OFO

Dealing with routine correspondence on their own initiative 18 3.2 OFO

Organizing and supervising filing systems 20 3.6 OFO

Scanning, recording and distributing mail, correspondence and documents 20 3.5 OFO

Screening and recording leave and other staff-members' entitlements 12 2.6 OFO

55

Task Num Imp Source

Screening requests for meetings or appointments and helping to organize meetings 20 3.3 OFO

Using various computer software packages including spreadsheets to provide administrative support 18 2.8 OFO

Coordinating of traveling and other logistics for I/A section and Audit Committee members 15 3.3 Profile

Gathering of information in the section as of Internal Audit 11 2.5 Profile

Committee Coordinators were discussed in length under Technicians and Associate Professionals.

Committee Assistants on the other hand work in the same are but are more focused on the

administration elements of the function. It appears that committee assistants are predominantly in

parliament (likely due to size) and not in the provincial legislatures. Since Parliament has not yet

implemented the skills audit, data is limited. There were however, 3 employees from the Western

Cape Legislature that completed their skills audit and based on their data, the assertion that the role

is limited to administrative support to the committee is supported.

Table 27 Task Importance for Committee Assistant

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Committee Assistant

OFO Code

2015-411101 General Clerk

Tasks Checking figures, preparing invoices and recording details of financial transactions made 2 2.5 OFO

Photocopying and faxing documents 3 3.3 OFO

Preparing reports and correspondence of a routine nature 3 2.3 OFO

Recording issue of equipment to staff 2 2.5 OFO

Recording, preparing, sorting, classifying and filing information 3 3.3 OFO

Responding to telephone or electronic enquiries or forwarding to appropriate person 3 3.3 OFO

Sorting, opening and sending mail 3 3.0 OFO

Transcribing information onto computers, and proofreading and correcting copy 2 1.5 OFO

The professional occupations that are included in Hansard Services have already been discussed. The

remaining occupation to be detailed Hansard Reporters / Transcribers. Hansard Reporters should

not be confused with journalists. A Hansard Reporter writes the word-for-word account of the daily

proceedings of the House. The core of their function is therefore related to transcription.

It is recommended that all transcribers be classified as 2015-413101 Word Processing Operator. This

may appear an odd match but one of the Specialisations / Alternative Titles for the occupation is

Computer Assisted Transcript Operator. Table 28 shows that the OFO is a good match for the role.

There may be value in adding Hansard Reporter as an additional specialization to the occupation.

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Table 28 Task Importance for Transcribers

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Transcribing Typist, Hansard Transcriber

OFO Code

2015-413101 Word Processing Operator (Computer Assisted Transcript Operator)

Tasks Checking completed work for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation and formatting

1 4 OFO

Filing and storing completed documents on computer hard drive or disk, or maintain a computer filing system to store, retrieve or update documents

1 3 OFO

Reproducing the spoken word, environmental sounds and song lyrics as captions for cinema and television programming

1 3 OFO

Taking dictation and recording other matter in shorthand 1 4 OFO

Transcribing information recorded in shorthand and on sound recording equipment

1 4 OFO

Typing written material from rough drafts, corrected copies, voice recordings, or shorthand using a computer, word processor or typewriter

1 4 OFO

Receptionists are responsible for greeting clients and visitors, and responding to personal,

telephone, email and written enquiries and requests. As is the case with the majority of transversal

occupations, there is a clear link to the OFO and the task importance in Table 29 shows that the

match is good.

Table 29 Task Importance for Receptionist

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Receptionist: Speakers Office

OFO Code

2015-422601 Receptionist (General)

Tasks Dealing with telephone requests for information or appointments 1 5 OFO

Directing clients to appropriate location or person 1 4 OFO

Making appointments for clients 1 1 OFO

Receiving and welcoming visitors, guests or clients 1 4 OFO

Supplying information pamphlets, brochures or forms 1 1 OFO

Arranging for official acknowledgement and referrals of correspondence, submissions,petitions,bills and other documents

1 4 Profile

Ordering of stationery and other office requirements 1 4 Profile

Provide administrative support, Maintaining the filling system 1 4 Profile

Typing of correspondence, Preparing letter to Members, Management and officials, faxing of documents, Copies, Documents and Correspondence are filled and easily retrievable

1 4 Profile

Usage of SAP 1 4 Profile

57

Finally, there are a large number of Clerks in the legislatures. These employees are responsible for

ensuring the effective and efficient processing of administrative functions across a number of

functional areas. These are transversal occupations and as such are well represented in the OFO.

Individual employees should be classified according to functional area based on the following

framework:

General Clerks

o 2015-411101 General Clerk

Data Entry Clerks

o 2015-413201 Data Entry Operator

Accounting Clerks

o 2015-431101 Accounts Clerk

o 2015-431102 Cost Clerk

o 2015-431103 Taxation Clerk

HR related Clerks

o 2015-431301 Payroll Clerk

o 2015-441601 Human Resources Clerk

o 2015-441602 Skills Development Administrator

o 2015-441603 Compensation and Benefits Clerk

o 2015-441604 Labour Relations Case Administrator

SCM / Logistics related Clerks

o 2015-432101 Stock Clerk / Officer

o 2015-432102 Dispatching and Receiving Clerk / Officer

o 2015-432103 Order Clerk / Officer

o 2015-432104 Warehouse Administrator / Clerk

Enquiry Clerks

o 2015-422501 Enquiry Clerk

Library Clerks

o 2015-441101 Library Assistant

Filing Clerks

o 2015-441501 Filing or Registry Clerk

The functions of the clerks are well captured within the OFO and while there will certainly be

contextual specialisation, the OFO occupations should be suitable to capture all the relevant posts in

the sector. Table 30 shows the responses from 5 clerks from the skills audit.

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Table 30 Task Importance for Finance and Registry Clerk

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Finance Clerk, Registry Clerk

OFO Code

2015-431101 Accounts Clerk, 2015-441501 Filing or Registry Clerk

Tasks Finance Clerk

Calculating, preparing, and issuing bills, invoices, account statements, and other financial statements according to established procedures 3 2.7 OFO

Checking figures, postings, and documents for correct entry, mathematical accuracy, and proper codes 3 3.3 OFO

Classifying, recording, and summarizing numerical and financial data to compile and keep financial records using journals and ledgers or computers 3 2.7 OFO

Compiling statistical, financial, accounting or auditing reports and tables pertaining to such matters as cash receipts, expenditures, accounts payable and receivable, and profits and losses 3 3.0 OFO

Operating computers programmed with accounting software to record, store, and analyze information 3 2.3 OFO

Assets and liability reconciliation 3 3.7 Profile

Expenditure and revenue management 3 3.3 Profile

Registry Clerk

Filing material in drawers, cabinets and storage boxes 2 3 OFO

Keeping records of materials filed and removed 2 3 OFO

Locating and remove materials from files when requested 2 3 OFO

Photocopying, Scanning or Faxing documents 2 3 OFO

Sorting or classifying materials according to guidelines such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order 2 3 OFO

Assists the Registry Officer/Manager with liaison and coordination of the weekly Registry Program, as well as the compilation and coordination of daily sheets 1 3 Profile

Controls and updates all incoming and outgoing registers of mail, newspapers. Etc 1 5 Profile

Ensures accurate and timeous registration and distribution of internal/external mail 1 4 Profile

Ensures control over the Registry office keys; safe; log books; pool vehicle keys; pool phone 1 1 Profile

Ensures correct and accurate recording of all confidential mail, cheques, monies, invoices, statements 1 5 Profile

Ensures correct and accurate use of office machinery 1 5 Profile

Ensures regular liaison with the Registry Officer/Records Administrator 1 4 Profile

Ensures the completion of requests of provisions and forwards to the Manager 1 2 Profile

Registry Duties 1 5 Profile

59

In addition to the ‘standard’ clerks as discussed above, there are clerical functions specific to the

sector. The functions are specific to a Legislature but as is the case in many of the occupations, if you

reduce the posts to the core functions, it can be shown that the roles for the profile of a standard

OFO occupation. For example, Table Officers / Assistants are included in the structure of 4 of the 7

legislatures. It refers to a post that supports the administrative process of tabling documents to the

house. The tasks on the job profile includes:

Compiling minutes

Respond accurately and promptly to the requests for information for audit purposes

Preparing reports and correspondence of a routine nature

Transcribing information onto computers, and proofreading and correcting copy

Recording, preparing, sorting, classifying and filing information

Photocopying and faxing documents

While this will vary from legislature to legislature, the core of the post is managing the

administration of documents and communicate. As such, it is a very close match to the tasks

associated with a General Clerk. As a result, an appropriate OFO match would be: 2015-411101

General Clerk

Service and Sales Workers

According to the OFO (2015), Service and sales workers provide:

“personal and protective services related to travel, housekeeping, catering, personal care, or

protection against fire and unlawful acts, or demonstrate and sell goods in wholesale or

retail shops and similar establishments, as well as at stalls and on markets.”

In the context of the legislatures this is almost exclusively related to Protection Officers / Security

Guards. The only other occupation of note in the major group is Waiter (2015-513101 Waiter). Both

are transversal occupations that are well represented on the OFO.

There are 101 Security Officers in the 7 legislatures in the study. These should all be mapped to OFO

code: 2015-541401 Security Officer.

Table 31 Task Importance for Security Officers

Task Num Imp Source

Job Title

Protection Officer, Security Officer

OFO Code

2015-541401 Security Officer.

Tasks Assisting in recruitment, interviewing, and selection of employees 1 4 OFO

Controlling administrative operations such as budget planning, report preparation, expenditure on supplies, equipment and services 2 2.5 OFO

60

Task Num Imp Source

Coordinating cooperation with other service provision agencies in the same or related fields 2 4 OFO

Developing, implementing and monitoring procedures, policies and standards for staff 2 5 OFO

Directing, supervising and evaluating the work activities of professional technical, clerical, service, maintenance, and other personnel 2 3.5 OFO

Establishing work schedules and procedures and co-coordinating activities with other work units or departments 2 4 OFO

Managing budgets, controlling expenditure and ensuring the efficient use of resources 2 3.5 OFO

Overseeing the selection, training and performance of staff 2 3.5 OFO

Planning, directing and coordinating the provision of services 2 4.5 OFO

Providing overall direction and management for a service, facility, organization or centre 2 2 OFO

Resolving work-related problems and preparing and submitting progress and other reports 2 3.5 OFO

Training and instructing employees in job duties, safety procedures and company policies, or arranging for training to be provided 2 4.5 OFO

Monitor and coordinate the provision of security service Legislature and related events 2 4.5 Profile

Assist in the and implementation of Occupational safety programs 2 4 Profile

Implement the Security Strategy to ensure compliance to Security Policy and regulations. 2 5 Profile

Monitor and coordinate the provision of security service at Speaker’s residence. 2 4.5 Profile

Skills Craft and Related Trades Workers, Machine Operators and Elementary Occupations

There are very few employees in the last three major OFO categories with all three accounting for

only 5% of employment. The occupations that are worthy of mentioning are:

Driver

Cleaner

There are different occupations to classify drivers based on the focus of their post. Employees can

be classified into one of the following occupations:

2015-732101 Delivery Driver

2015-732102 Delivery Driver (Motorcycle)

2015-732201 Chauffeur

Similarly, there are a couple of choices in terms of allocating cleaning staff namely:

2015-811201 Commercial Cleaner

2015-811204 Caretaker / cleaner

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Section 3: Job Titles with no match on the OFO

The previous section illustrated that the majority of occupations can be mapped to the OFO with a

measure of confidence. The mapping is not perfect but nor does it have to be. The purpose of the

OFO is to create a common language for classification and planning purposes and not to represent

the nuances of all functions in the labour market.

Having said that, there are occupations that do not have a clear place in the OFO or that the

proposed mapping is clumsy and misrepresents the core function of the roles. Most notable are:

Serjeant-at-Arms

Petitions Officer

Serjeant-at-Arms

According to the website of Parliament, the Serjeant-at-Arms is: “an officer of the National Assembly

who conducts the Speaker or Presiding Officer into the Chamber each sitting day, bearing the Mace.”

The responsibilities of the post include:

Maintaining the attendance register

Keep order during meetings.

Remove members who misconduct themselves

Currently, Sergeant-at-Arms is included as an alternative title for OFO Code 2015-335501 Detective.

However, this was deemed inappropriate as the tasks associated with this occupation involve police

work exclusively. It was proposed that the Serjeant-at-Arms be classified under 2015-143904

Security Services Manager based on the function to maintain order. However, the single respondent

to the skills audit indicated that none of the tasks on the OFO associated with the occupation are

relevant to their role.

The job profile used in the assessment however, provides a very clear indication of the role and how

it should be classified in the OFO. Each of the 6 tasks listed were rated as a maximum of 5 in terms of

their importance to the job.

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Table 32 Task importance for Serjeant-at-Arms

Num Imp Source

Alternative Titles

None

OFO Code None

OFO Tasks Assists Procedural Advisers with arrangement of sittings 1 5 Profile

Co-ordinate tabling of papers 1 5 Profile

Develop and maintain a Tabling Register 1 5 Profile

Ensuring compliance with security policy in and around Chamber

1 5 Profile

Liaise with departmental, state enterprises and municipal staff

1 5 Profile

Perform Ceremonial Duties during sittings 1 5 Profile

An examination of the OFO revealed that a possible location for Serjeant-at-Arms would be within

the unit group 2015- 3359. The tasks for the unit group would need to be revised to include the

parliamentary / legislative element.

Table 33 OFO structure for possible location of Serjeant-at-Arms

OFO Level Code Title

Major Group 2015-3 Technicians and Associate Professionals

Sub Major Group 2015-3 Business and Administration Associate Professionals

Minor Group 2015-335 Regulatory Government Associate Professionals

Unit Group 2015-3359 Government Regulatory Associate Professionals not Elsewhere Classified

Occupation 2015-335917 Serjeant-at-Arms

Alternate Title 2015-335917 Deputy Serjeant-at-Arms

Petitions Officer

The Petitions Officer forms a key role in terms of the Public Participation with the legislature. The

employee will normally report into the manager of the Public Participation / Petitions unit. It is not

entirely clear if the level of responsibility is consistent across the legislatures. On one hand, the

function could be clerical in that the petitions are received, captured and fed into the appropriate

process for processing. In this case, an appropriate OFO code would be either:

2015-422501 Enquiry Clerk

2015-441905 Account Clerk (Public Relations / Communication)

If the role is more senior, it may be more appropriate to classify it under:

63

2015-242213 Regulatory Affairs Officer (Petitions Officer can be added as an alternative

title)

The unit group is very broad and includes a wide array of occupations. As such, the tasks are not

particularly relevant. However, they can be expanded to include the “regulatory affairs” of

legislatures.

Unfortunately, none of the Petitions Officers in the sample completed the skills audit. A process of

engagement with the legislatures directly should assist in resolving this matter.

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Conclusion and Way Forward

The report shows that the vast majority of jobs within the legislature can be mapped to the OFO. A

complete list with recommended mapping to the OFO is included as a separate document. This

mapping can be made more relevant by the following:

Make submissions to DHET to add alternative titles that are relevant to the legislature to

occupations on the OFO (as per summary attached).

Engage with the legislatures for clarity on the following occupations:

o Committee Coordinator

o Procedural Officer

o Serjeant-at-Arms

o Petitions Officer

Based on the input from legislatures make submissions to DHET to:

o Expand tasks on OFO 2015-3341 so that scope includes Committee Coordinator and

Procedural Officer

o Expand tasks on OFO 2015-3359 so that scope includes Serjeant-at-Arms

o Add occupations that are not reflected on the OFO

All of the above conclusions are based on a fairly small sample of data. While there is not expected

to be large movements away from the conclusions drawn here, additional data would be beneficial

in clarifying a number of areas. Therefore, if additional data (particularly from parliament) becomes

available, the analysis will be updated and the mapping amended accordingly.

65

References

BE at UP (2014) Research Framework. ETDP SETA Research Chair (Draft – unpublished)

Department of Higher Education and Training [DHET] (2013)

Labor Market Intelligence Partnership n.d. http://www.lmip.org.za/ Accessed 5 March 2015

Department of Higher Education and Training [DHET] (2013) Guidelines: Organising Framework for

Occupations (OFO) 2013. Pretoria

Hayton, G. (1990) ‘Skills Audit and Training Needs Analysis’, Work and People, Vol. 13, Pt. 3, pp25-31

Kleinhans (2013) 5 Methods for conducting a skills audit. HR Pulse. http://hrpulse.co.za/editors-

pick/230150-5-methods-for-conducting-a-skills-audit [Accessed 20 March 2016]

Lucent Sea (n.d.) Skills Spotlight. www.LucentSea.co.za [Accessed November 2015]

PSETA (2015). REPORT OF THE SECOND PUBLIC SERVICE SECTOR SKILLS COLLOQUIUM: Towards

Building Skills and Capabilities to Meet the Strategic Priorities of the National Development Plan.

Boksburg

Singizi Consulting, (2014) Demand Side Planning Considerations on the Skills Planning Mechanism.

LMIP Policy Round Table II: The Emerging Contours of a Credible Institutional Skills Planning

Mechanism for South Africa: Towards a Common Perspective

South Africa (2013) Ministerial Task Team on Seta Performance. Government Gazette 36747:578,

August 2013.